Tom Walsh (shot putter)

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Tom Walsh

| image = Tomas Walsh Portland 2016.jpg

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Walsh in 2016, after winning gold at the World Indoor Championships

| full_name = Tomas Walsh

| nationality = New Zealand

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1992|3|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Timaru, New Zealand

| height = 1.85 m

| weight = 120 kg

| country = New Zealand

| sport = Track and field

| event = Shot put

| club = South Canterbury Athletic Club

| coach = Ian Baird

| pb = 22.90 m (outdoor)
22.31 m (indoor) (CR)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}

}}

Tomas Walsh (born 1 March 1992){{cite web |url=http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/athletics/1033335/t_walsh.html |title=Glasgow 2014 – Tom Walsh Profile}} is a New Zealand athlete who competes mainly in the shot put.[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/new-zealand/tomas-walsh-247664 Tomas Walsh]. IAAF. Retrieved on 9 March 2014. He is the current national record holder both outdoors and indoors for the event.{{cite web |url=http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/site/records_con |title=Athletics New Zealand Rankings and Records}}[http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/9806112/Tom-Walsh-claims-brilliant-bronze-for-NZ Tom Walsh claims brilliant bronze for NZ]. Stuff.co.nz (8 March 2014). Retrieved on 9 March 2014. His personal best of {{T&Fcalc|22.90}}, set in Doha, 5 October 2019, is also the Oceanian record and makes him the seventh best shot putter in history.

Walsh was the bronze medallist at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships, the silver medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 4th at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, winner of the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships, the bronze medallist at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the gold medallist at the 2017 World Championships and the bronze medallist at the 2019 World Championships, 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships and the 2020 Summer Olympics, and gold medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Athletics career

Walsh made his international debut at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics, where he placed sixth in his shot put speciality and also competed in the qualifying of the discus throw.[http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/WYC/WYC2009.html World Youth Championships 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108084017/http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/WYC/WYC2009.html |date=8 November 2012 }}. World Junior Athletic History. Retrieved on 9 March 2014. On 12 December 2009 Walsh recorded a put of {{T&Fcalc|20.21}} the 5 kg shot to win the Senior Boys title at the New Zealand National Secondary School Track and Field Championships. This performance was a New Zealand Youth (Under 18) record which was broken the following day by Jacko Gill when winning the Junior Boys (Under 16) title.

Walsh broke the New Zealand junior record on 18 March 2010 with a put of {{T&Fcalc|18.82}} with the 6 kg shot but this was broken 9 days later by Gill with {{T&Fcalc|19.92}}. At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics Walsh failed to qualify for the final of the shot put which was won by Gill.[http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/atm.php?ID=116211&Season=2009&Odd=0 Tomas Walsh]. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.[http://www.tilastopaja.org/db/atm.php?ID=118042&Season=2010&Odd=0 Jacko Gill]. Tilastopaja. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.[http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/WJC/WJC2010.html World Junior Championships 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309172745/http://www.wjah.co.uk/wojc/WJC/WJC2010.html |date=9 March 2014 }}. WJAH. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.

In 2012 Walsh won his first senior national shot put title which he retained the following season and also added the discus title. On 12 December 2013 Walsh broke Gill's New Zealand senior shot put record with {{T&Fcalc|20.61}} in Melbourne, AustraliaJohnson, Len (12 December 2013). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/tom-walsh-sam-chelanga-nikki-chapple-zatopek1 Shot putter Walsh shares spotlight with distance runners at Zatopek:10]. IAAF. Retrieved on 9 March 2014. which he improved with {{T&Fcalc|21.16}} on 22 March 2014, also in Melbourne.(2014-03-23). [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11224877]. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved on 23 March 2014. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323092352/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11224877|date=23 March 2014}}

At the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships, in his first senior international competition and first ever competition indoors,Lewis, Paul (9 March 2014). [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11216679 Athletics: Bronze is pure gold]. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved on 9 March 2014. Walsh finished third in the men's shot put.{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-indoor-championships/iaaf-world-indoor-championships-2014-4952/results/men/shot-put/final/series |title=IAAF: Shot Put Series Result - IAAF World Indoor Championships 2014 - iaaf.org}} He set an indoor national record of {{T&Fcalc|20.41}} in the qualifying round and improved upon this mark three times in the final finishing with {{T&Fcalc|21.26}} which was an Oceanian indoor record and the same distance as the Oceanian outdoor record.Minshull, Phil (8 March 2014). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/report-mens-shot-put-final-sopot-2014 Report: men's shot put final – Sopot 2014]. IAAF. Retrieved on 9 March 2014.

Later in 2014, Walsh improved his outdoor personal best and the New Zealand record with {{T&Fcalc|21.23}} at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League meet in Glasgow on 11 July,{{cite news |title=Hassan beats Aregawi again with a meeting record – IAAF Diamond League |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/report/hassan-aregawi-glasgow-iaaf-diamond-league |publisher=IAAF |author=Matthew Brown |date=11 July 2014 |access-date=28 July 2014}} before improving again to {{T&Fcalc|21.24}} on 27 July, during the qualifying round at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which was a Commonwealth Games record.{{cite news |title=Games record for Walsh in qualifying |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/commonwealth-games/athletics/10317883/Games-record-for-Walsh-in-qualifying |publisher=Stuff |author=Fred Woodcock |date=28 July 2014 |access-date=28 July 2014}} In the final, Walsh won the silver medal behind O'Dayne Richards.{{cite news |title=Tom Walsh wins silver in Games shot put |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/commonwealth-games/athletics/10322387/Tom-Walsh-wins-silver-in-Games-shot-put |publisher=Stuff |author=Mark Geenty |date=29 July 2014 |access-date=14 September 2014}}

In 2015, Walsh defended his New Zealand shot put title with a throw of {{T&Fcalc|20.73}} on 8 March,{{cite news |title=Tom Walsh wins New Zealand national shot put title |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/67103314/tom-walsh-wins-new-zealand-national-shot-put-title |publisher=Stuff |author=Toby Robson |date=8 March 2015 |access-date=22 March 2015}} before setting a new Oceanian record of {{T&Fcalc|21.37}} on 21 March at the Melbourne Track Classic.[http://www.athletics.org.nz/News/nz-athletes-on-record-spree-in-melbourne NZ athletes on record spree in Melbourne]. Retrieved on 22 March 2015.

Walsh finished fourth at the 2015 World Championships on 23 August in Beijing, throwing a new personal best of 21.58m.{{cite news |title=New Zealand's Tom Walsh pipped for shot put bronze at world championships |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/71365717/new-zealands-tom-walsh-pipped-for-shot-put-bronze-at-world-championships |publisher=Stuff |date=24 August 2015 |access-date=14 September 2015}} He was just 11 cm off the bronze medal. He improved his personal best to 21.62m on 8 September in winning the shot put at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb.{{cite news |title=Kiwi shot putter Tom Walsh wins Zagreb World Challenge with another personal best |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/71834905/kiwi-shot-putter-tom-walsh-wins-zagreb-world-challenge-with-another-personal-best |publisher=Stuff |date=8 September 2015 |access-date=14 September 2015}} On 11 September Walsh won his first Diamond League meet with a throw of 21.39m in Brussels.{{cite news |title=Tom Walsh wins Diamond League meet in Brussels, beats shot put world champion |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/71991952/tom-walsh-wins-diamond-league-meet-in-brussels-beats-shot-put-world-champion |publisher=Stuff |date=12 September 2015 |access-date=14 September 2015}}

In the 2016 World Indoor Championships, Walsh won the gold medal with a throw of 21.78m, breaking his own New Zealand national and Oceania area indoor records three times in the process. He went on to take the bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, with 21.36m, and the following year won the 2017 IAAF World Championships with 22.03m.{{cite web |url=https://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/iaaf-world-championships-london-2017-5151/results/men/shot-put/final/series |title=IAAF: Shot Put Series Result - IAAF World Championships London 2017 - iaaf.org |website=iaaf.org}}

Walsh retained his World Indoor title at the 2018 World Indoor Championships, with a then personal best of 22.31m. He surpassed this with 22.67m on 25 March the same year, at the Sir Graeme Douglas International Track Challenge in West Auckland, New Zealand, moving him into the top-10 World All-Time.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Walsh threw 22.45m, setting a new Commonwealth Games record en route to qualify for the Shot Put Men's final.

In 2019, Walsh threw 22.90m in the first round of the 2019 World Athletics Championships to set a new Oceanian record. He finished in third place.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Walsh took third place once again, with a throw of 22.47m. At the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Walsh equalled his own indoor Oceanian record.

Personal life

Walsh works part-time as a builder in Timaru.{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83336509/rio-olympics-2016-tom-walsh-gets-up-for-bronze-medal-in-mens-shot-put-final |title=What a shot, Tom Walsh|date=19 August 2016 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11697196 |title=Rio Olympics 2016: Tom Walsh wins bronze |date=19 August 2016 |via=New Zealand Herald }}

Tom's father, Peter, won the New Zealand junior men's shot put in the 1964–65 season{{citation needed|date = August 2017}} and was a member of the 1974 South Canterbury Rugby side that won the Ranfurly Shield.{{citation needed|date = August 2017}}

Statistics

=Personal bests=

;Outdoor

Shot put – {{T&Fcalc|22.90}} Doha (2019) {{AthAbbr|Commonwealth Record}} {{AthAbbr|AR|Oceanian}} {{AthAbbr|NR|New Zealand}}
Discus throw – {{T&Fcalc|53.58}} (2014)

;Indoor

Shot put – {{T&Fcalc|22.31}} (2018, 2022) {{AthAbbr|AR|Oceanian}} {{AthAbbr|NR|New Zealand}}

=Shot put season's best=

Senior implement weight (7.26 kg) only.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" width="70%"
Year ! Performance ! Competition ! Location ! Date ! World ranking
2010 \| 17.57 m \| \| Waitakere, New Zealand \| 20 February \|
2011 \| 18.83 m \| \| North Shore, New Zealand \| 5 December \| 123
2012 \| 19.33 m \| \| Amiens, France \| 30 June \| 111=
2013 \| 20.61 m \| \| Melbourne, Australia \| 12 December \| 22=
rowspan=2\| 2014 \| 21.26 m ({{AthAbbr\|i}}) \| World Indoor Championships \| Sopot, Poland \| 7 March \| rowspan=2\| 11
21.24 m \| Commonwealth Games \| Glasgow, Scotland \| 27 July
2015 \| 21.62 m \| Hanžeković Memorial \| Zagreb, Croatia \| 7 September \| 5
2016 \| 22.21 m \| Hanžeković Memorial \| Zagreb, Croatia \| 5 September \| 2
2017 \| 22.14 m \| World Championships \| London, England \| 5 August \|
2018 \| 22.31 m \| 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships \| Birmingham, England \| 3 March \|
2018 \| 22.67 m \| Sir Graeme Douglas International Track Challenge \| West Auckland, New Zealand \| 25 March \|
2019 \|22.90 m \|2019 World Athletics Championships \|Doha, Qatar \|5 October \| =2
2020 \|21.70 m \|New Zealand National Champs \|Christchurch, New Zealand \|6 March \|

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" width="70%"

Year

! Performance

! Competition

! Location

! Date

! World
ranking

2010

| 17.57 m

| Waitakere, New Zealand

| 20 February

2011

| 18.83 m

| North Shore, New Zealand

| 5 December

| 123

2012

| 19.33 m

| Amiens, France

| 30 June

| 111=

2013

| 20.61 m

| Melbourne, Australia

| 12 December

| 22=

rowspan=2| 2014

| 21.26 m ({{AthAbbr|i}})

| World Indoor Championships

| Sopot, Poland

| 7 March

| rowspan=2| 11

21.24 m

| Commonwealth Games

| Glasgow, Scotland

| 27 July

2015

| 21.62 m

| Hanžeković Memorial

| Zagreb, Croatia

| 7 September

| 5

2016

| 22.21 m

| Hanžeković Memorial

| Zagreb, Croatia

| 5 September

| 2

2017

| 22.14 m

| World Championships

| London, England

| 5 August

2018

| 22.31 m

| 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships

| Birmingham, England

| 3 March

2018

| 22.67 m

| Sir Graeme Douglas International Track Challenge

| West Auckland, New Zealand

| 25 March

2019

|22.90 m

|2019 World Athletics Championships

|Doha, Qatar

|5 October

| =2

2020

|21.70 m

|New Zealand National Champs

|Christchurch, New Zealand

|6 March

Competition record

rowspan=2|2009

|rowspan=2|World Youth Championships

|rowspan=2|Brixen, Italy

|6th

|Shot put (5 kg)

|19.60 m

31st (q)

|Discus throw (1.5 kg)

|48.83 m

2010

|World Junior Championships

|Moncton, Canada

|16th (q)

|Shot put (6 kg)

|17.92 m

rowspan=2|2014

|World Indoor Championships

|Sopot, Poland

|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd