Ryan Crouser smashes world shot put record with 23.56 metres to defeat Tom Walsh

Tom Walsh of New Zealand competes in the Shot Put Men competition at the Athletissima IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland, Friday, Aug. 26, 2022. (Laurent Gillieron/Keystone via AP)

Tom Walsh is starting to find some form but the Kiwi ace is being obliterated by the greatest shot put exponent in history.

American Ryan Crouser heaved a new world record in Los Angeles, flying past his 2021 mark of 23.37m to record 23.56m.

And the 145kg powerhouse is promising there is much more to come.

Walsh - the Olympic bronze medallist and former world champion - threw his best for the season, finishing second with 22.12m. But all of double Olympic champion Crouser’s throws were well past that mark.

Crouser’s performance is being hailed as one of the greatest in track and field history, with three of his throws among the six longest ever.

He punched the air in triumph at his best during the Los Angeles Grand Prix, and said later that he is perfecting a new technique he calls the ‘Crouser Slide’.

“The best thing is I’m still on high volume training, heavy throws in the ring and heavy weights in the weight room, so we’re just starting to work in some speed,” said the two-metre plus star.

Crouser threw 23.38m indoors this year but it was scrubbed because the throwing circle was not up to official scratch.

Kiwi Maddie-Lee Wesche was fifth in the women’s shot put at the Los Angeles meeting with a season-best 19.18m.