Tom Walsh chasing third straight world indoor title

Timaru - New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh is hunting a hat-trick of world indoor titles in Belgrade, Serbia on Sunday morning (NZ time).

He says he can beat American Ryan Crouser enroute to gold.

The giant 29-year-old Crouser is unbeaten since winning silver at the 2019 world championships and last year enjoyed the best season of his career, erasing the 31-year-old world shot put record with a monster throw of 23.37m and mounting a successful defence of his Olympic title.

Many shot putters regard beating Crouser as one of the toughest challenges in the sport, but this is not a view shared by Tom who has defeated the American in the past, including at the 2017 world outdoors in London.

“I’m sick and tired of finishing second to Crouser,” Walsh says.

“Some people will admit Crouser is too good for them, but I don’t believe that. I know I have been in 23.30m shape before and I can get there again, it is just about fine-tuning the throwing and figuring it out.”

Walsh has been based in Athens, Georgia which is a familiar training base for the Kiwi where he has stepped up his preparations for Belgrade.

On his world indoor debut in Poland eight years ago Walsh ‘s career has taken off.

He has thrived in the intimate and atmospheric indoor environment, banking successive world Indoor titles in Portland, Oregon in 2016 and Birmingham, UK in 2018, where he set a championship record of 22.31m.

Walsh is one of five Kiwis in action at the world athletics indoor championships.

Photo: Tom Walsh. Credit: Alisaha Lovrich