Athletics: Victory for Walsh

Tom Walsh in action in Stockholm. Photo / AP

New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has had the most significant result of his blossoming international career in the Croatian city of Zagreb this morning.

Walsh won the IAAF World Challenge Zagreb shot put in a street competition held in central Zagreb a with a best throw of 20.69. The shot put was held the evening prior to the main World Challenge Zagreb meeting.

The 22-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist beat Tomasz Majewski (20.44), the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion into second place and relegated Reese Hoffa (20.36), the overall Diamond League shot put winner for 2014, into third.

Also in his wake were Joe Kovacs and Christian Cantwell, the first and fourth ranked athletes in the world this year.

Walsh picked up $US5,000 for the win.

The part time builder from Timaru has quickly emerged as one of the top shot putters in the world, and while not matching the distances of around 22 metres some of his competitors reach (he has the 11th longest throw in the world for 2014), his consistency and ability to beat throwers with longer personal best performances have resulted in regular podium finishes including third place at the world indoor championships in Poland earlier in the season.