Tom Walsh Just Misses Out On A Global Medal

Tom Walsh claimed fourth spot and fellow Kiwi Jacko Gill was seventh in a high-class men’s shot put at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon today.

The 30-year-old Christchurch-based thrower, who was hunting a third successive world outdoor medal, struggled to find his absolute best although an impressive fifth round throw of 22.08m elevated the double Olympic bronze medallist to fourth as he threatened a podium position.

Producing his equal best finishing position at a World Championships, Jacko unleashed a best for the day of 21.40m to place seventh in his fourth successive World Athletics Championship final.

The USA claimed a clean sweep of the podium as Olympic champion and world record-holder Ryan Crouser fired out a monster championship record 22.94m in round five to dislodge defending champion Joe Kovacs, who posted a season’s best of 22.89m to claim silver.

A personal best of 22.29m by Josh Awatunde earned bronze to ensure a US 1-2-3.

Tom opened with a 21.40m before following up with a 20.67m in round two. He clad a further 9cm for his best for the day in round three before he was awarded a red flag with his fourth effort.

A much improved 22.08m in round five offered encouragement he could claim yet another global podium spot but, unfortunately, on this occasion he could not better this mark as he tossed the metal ball out to 21.27m in round six.

Jacko improved throughout the competition with all five valid throws. Opening with a modest 19.19m he then went out to 20.75m followed by a 20.82m in round three to move into the top eight and earn the right for three further attempts. In the fourth stanza he produced a 21.03m mark and following a foul in the penultimate round a 21.40m effort to climax his competition ensured he finished his experience at Hayward Field on a high.

Tom said: “I wasn’t really in the comp the whole time, I was just a bit pushy and not smooth like when I throw well. So to throw 22.08m was quite a surprise and it means physically I am in the right shape, I just didn’t quite give myself the chance to throw a long way which is disappointing.

“I felt like I controlled my nerves pretty well, I was just trying too hard and as I have said in the past that’s not when I throw well. I need to find that feeling of not trying too hard again because I have had it in training and bits and pieces in comps leading up to this, but I just didn’t have it today.”

Jacko said of his competition: “I’m really satisfied, I’m happy with the result. A few things held up, a few things didn’t but overall I’m very happy.

“I think in the first few rounds I was missing (my throws) off the hand, and I came through with the last few rounds and had the feel for the shot a bit better. There was a lot more out there today, so to finish seventh puts me in a good place for Commonwealth Games.”

Zoe Hobbs followed up her scintillating 11.08 Oceania record in the heats of the women’s 100m on Sunday by finished a highly creditable fifth in the semi-finals, posting a time of 11.13.

In a final which was delayed several minutes following a dispute between Bahamian TyNir Gaither of Bahamas who was disqualified for a false start offence, Zoe made an impressive start.

The Taranaki-raised athlete looked in contention during the first half of the race before slightly fading in the final 20m to cross the line fifth – only 0.05 slower than she registered in the heat.

Double Olympic 100m gold medallist and defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica grabbed first in 10.93 with American Aleia Hobbs 0.02 further back securing the second automatic for the final. Later in the session Fraser-Pryce would lead home a Jamaican 1-2-3 to take secure gold in the final.

It was another wonderful championship experience for Zoe, who achieved a best ever performance by a New Zealander in a 100m at a World Athletics Championships. Overall, she achieved a ranking of 14th and can take huge encouragement leading into the Birmingham Commonwealth Games next month and beyond.

Zoe said: “It is a pretty epic feeling to be out there mixing it with the best in the world. I can’t complain, just to be out there with those girls, it is a cool feeling.

“Yes, there was a bit of drama at the start (after the false start and disqualification of Gaither) I did feel like I got a good start and a good reaction. Then it all happened again, so we all got into the blocks the second time. We were held on the line for probably about ten minutes.

“I felt like I got away well with the rest but again, like yesterday, it was a bit of a blur. I thought I was with the girls at the front, but I was not able to hold on. I panicked and due to a lack of experience and running against this level of girls, I tightened up and didn’t manage to execute as I would have liked at the end. I’m hoping to build on this at Comms (Commonwealth Games) in two weeks’ time.”

Sam Tanner narrowly missed out on a final spot but performed with pride in the semi-finals of the men’s 1500m to place eighth in 3:36.32.

The 21-year-old New Zealand champion was almost inadvertently caught up an early race tangle as the Kenyan Kumari Taki fell but otherwise ran an intelligent race as he passed 800m in a little under 1:55.

Featuring in clearly the much quicker of the two semi-finals and with the first five automatically qualifying for the final plus the two next fastest as he hit the bell in seventh, with a five-metre gap on the athlete in eighth, the Papamoa athlete looked a good bet to bank a spot in the final.

However, the American Josh Thompson produced a powerful surge in the latter stages to relegate the Kiwi to eighth in 3:36.32 and the Kiwi, who competed at the Tokyo Olympic last year, just missed out on a slot in the medal race by one place. Kenyan Abel Kipsang took the semi-final victory in 3:33.68.

Sam said: “I’m a little disappointed, I would have liked to have made the final but happy with how I ran today and overall I enjoyed the experience.

On whether the incident with the Kenyan Taki disrupted his rhythm, Sam added: “Yes, a little bit, he tried to cut in on me at 300m right as we go into the bend there.

“At the bell I was feeling a little tired hoping the eighth was further back than he was because I knew we were on pace for a fast time. I was quietly confident I could do it, but he (Thompson) sneaked up on me to take seventh.”

There was disappointment for Olivia McTaggart in the final of the women’s pole vault as she no-heighted at 4.30m. The 22-year-old Aucklander, who had comfortably qualified with 4.50m, boasts a PB of 4.65m. Olympic champion Katie Nageotte of the USA added the world title to her Olympic crown with a best of 4.85m.

Olivia said: “This is going to sound a bit random, but I don’t think I’ve been happier to have no heighted before. What I mean by that is I give it everything, but today my everything wasn’t very much. That’s okay, I enjoyed myself I just have to move on to the next one and I’m glad I’ve got another big champs this year (with the Commonwealth Games).”

Results here

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