The former men's shot put world champion returned to action last weekend at a two-day meet in Tuscon, Arizona. Having not competed internationally for over 18 months due to Covid-19, Walsh laughs, almost as if embarrassed when reflecting on getting back intothe circle overseas.
"I got emotional before my first comp." he tells the Herald from Doha, ahead of this weekend's Diamond League event, "It was probably due to everything, not only myself, but the rest of the world has gone through and things we've all had taken off us. I'm lucky that the only thing I've really had taken off me is throwing a shot put. But that's a huge part of my life. To be back competing was pretty damn cool.
"The emotion got the better of me for a few seconds before the first comp, and neither of them went how I wanted them to, but it was the first time I've had that type of stimulus in a long time and I felt like I handled it pretty well, considering everything. So now it's just a matter of getting back into that groove and getting more comfortable throwing again internationally."
Walsh finished fourth at the US throws festival, with a best heave of 21.62m, with American Ryan Crouser winning with 23.01m.
Walsh channels his inner Scott, whether it be Dixon or McLaughlin, when coming up with an analogy for returning to the international circuit.
"All of a sudden, I'd just been given the keys to a brand new sports car, and I didn't know how to drive it because it had too much horsepower. So now it's just a matter of straightening it up and getting the wheels not spinning and actually holding onto the turf and gripping."
Walsh is keen to squash any talk he'll be off his game come the Tokyo Olympics, with the final still two months away.
"It's just really about being patient, and remembering what's worked in the past and how we can get it all going right. It's not technical or anything like that. It's just timing and sometimes that takes a training session to come, sometimes it's more. So it's just staying true to what you're working on and not getting lost going down different rabbit holes.
"I've got the horsepower, there's no doubt about that. It's just about getting more of that horsepower into the shot. If I want to be the best thrower in the world, it's not necessarily doing something new every time, it's just a matter of being better at what you did before. The mental side of it was great at Tucson considering I've been out of the game for so long. I looked after my nerves and thoughts well. Considering I've flown all over the world though, the body is good."
Tom Walsh. Photo / Photosport
It'll be more of the same when he returns to the action this weekend in Doha, as part of an intentionally intense and strenuous calendar which he and coach Dale Stevenson have planned.
"I've had those two comps in Tuscon, I've got Diamond League this weekend, then next week I'm in Nashville, Tennessee… I think. Then the following week in I'm in Italy for a comp. We've chosen to have five comps in a short space of time to iron out those kinks."
While it's taken a while to get back into the swing, or in this case, pivot of competing, Walsh has eased straight back into rejoining the men's shot-put fraternity.
"I'm a social beast, and one of the big reasons I do the sport is the off-track banter and I'm an extrovert by nature and it definitely gives me energy.
"It's been great to catch up with American guys, I saw one of my good mates Ryan Whiting who's retired and is now coaching so that was really nice to spend time with him and the other guys. Now that I'm in Doha, I'll catch up with Konrad Bukowiecki, the Polish kid, so it's nice to get another piece of the puzzle of why I do the sport."
The publicly social aspect of being out for meals and beers and playing credit card roulette to decide who's going to foot the lengthy bill is yet to return though.
"During Covid times, I try to stay away from eating in places, so it's been a lot of takeaway sort of stuff. And the beers have been pretty quiet because the Yanks have their trials in a few weeks, so they're deadly serious right now because they have to focus on qualifying for the Olympics.
"Beers here in Doha are like 45 New Zealand dollars as well so I don't think that'll be happening. Hopefully soon though."
