Tom Walsh has made it gold number 17 for New Zealand in Birmingham, equalling the country’s 32-year-old Commonwealth Games record.
But not before fellow Kiwi Jack Gill gave him a scare with his final throw, one the Aucklander temporarily thought had powered him into the gold medal position.
Not quite. Gill’s personal-best 21.90m was short of Walsh’s then leading 21.98m – before the reigning champion unleashed a statement-making 22.26m bomb.
“Obviously, Jacko had a big one at the end there to give me a boot up the a….,” Walsh said at Alexander Stadium on Saturday morning (NZT).
“Really happy with it. I got hold of the last one a little bit, which was good, really good. I was knocking on the door with the other four or five throws.”
Gill’s all-time best throw with the 7.26kg sphere completed a New Zealand one-two, and ensured he bagged his first major medal four years after pulling out of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games due to myocarditis.
“I thought it was really close, maybe like a 20 per cent chance. So I was a little bit disappointed when I saw the measurement,” Gill said after the two Kiwis dominated the competition.
Walsh and Gill were the only two among the 12-strong field to go over 21m – Walsh with all six of his attempts and Gill three times.
The former, the only competitor in the field to have a throw above 22m to his name, could have taken a seat and remained there after his first effort – a 21.98m bomb.
Alastair Grant/AP
Tom Walsh, left, and Jacko Gill celebrate their New Zealand one-two in the men’s shot put in Birmingham on Saturday morning.
Not that he was thinking along those lines as he relaxed between throws.
“No, I knew I needed to put it to bed. I knew I needed to throw 22m plus to put it out of reach. I just know when I’m throwing well, I’m talking a bit of smack to the guys, I’m sitting back relaxing, I’m looking at the crowd seeing if I know anyone.”
As soon as Walsh, who has a 22.90 personal-best, finished with his best attempt of the night, he skipped out the back of the circle and raised his arms.
It was then time to embrace Gill, his long-time rival.
“It’s great for Jacko…I know every year he is coming closer and getting closer and closer to me, it’s going to be an interesting domestic season again next year.”
David Ramos/Getty Images
Gold medallist Tom Walsh of New Zealand after winning gold.
Shortly afterwards, the pair, with New Zealand flags draped over their shoulders, did a lap around the stadium, packed with 32,000 fans for a fourth straight night.
Walsh had won his first major crown since 2018, when he won Commonwealth Games gold and a world indoor title in Birmingham.
He’d also put the disappointment of failing to medal at the world championships in Oregon last month to bed, something he was desperate to do after failing to throw more than of 22.08m against American medallists Ryan Crouser, Joe Kovacs and Josh Awotunde.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Kiwi Jacko Gill snared Commonwealth Games silver in the men’s shot put to bag his first major international medal.
“It’s been a while. Obviously, world champs in 2019, f…, I lost by four millimetres. I’ve had some really close calls and competed really well in a bunch of stuff. But men’s shot put right now is so good, and it’s so hard to win, and when you win it’s your lucky day. And I just want to have more of those lucky days.
“In Oregon, I was probably happy with maybe one or two throws. I was happy with five throws out there today.
“Training the last wee while has been really good. I’ve been nailing some things in training and managed to bring it out there tonight. And if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have won.”
Walsh vowed to celebrate with a few quiet drinks, before heading to Poland and Hungary (Gill will also compete there) for competitions the next few days.
It’s then on to Scotland for a golfing trip alongside high jump gold medallist Hamish Kerr “to lose some balls in the Scottish ocean”.
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