Tomas Walsh after winning gold at the 2016 World Indoor Championships
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Personal information | |
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Nationality | New Zealand |
Born |
Timaru, New Zealand |
1 March 1992
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
Weight | 120 kg (260 lb) (2014) |
Sport | |
Country | New Zealand |
Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | Shot put |
Club | South Canterbury Athletic Club |
Achievements and titles | |
Personal best(s) | 22.21 m (outdoor) 21.78 m (indoor) |
Tomas "Tom" Walsh (born 1 March 1992) is a New Zealand athlete who competes mainly in the shot put. He is the current national record holder both outdoors and indoors for the event. His personal best of 22.21 m (72 ft 10 1⁄4 in), set at a Diamond League meet in Zagreb, 5 Septemebr 2016, is also the Oceanian record.
Walsh was the bronze medalist at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships, the silver medalist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 4th at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, winner of the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships, and the bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games.
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. On 12 December 2009 Walsh recorded a put of 20.21 m (66 ft 3 1⁄2 in) 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 18.82 m (61 ft 8 3⁄4 in) with the 6 kg shot but this was broken 9 days late by Gill with 19.92 m (65 ft 4 1⁄4 in). At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics Walsh failed to qualify for the final of the shot put which was won by Gill.