World Champion shot putter Tom Walsh didn't have any problems easily winning the Big Shot event in his hometown of Timaru.
New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2017 / Alisha Lovrich
Going straight to the lead with his first throw of 21.35m to the noisy support from the big crowd - no-one else got close to that distance - the hometown hero went on to toss the 7.26kg shot out to 22.06m on his second attempt, further than his NZ resident record of 21.80 set in Auckland in February and just 0.09m short of Ryan Crouser's NZ allcomer's record at the same meeting.
It was Walsh's first competition in Timaru since 2012 and the big local crowd were happy to see him in action in the best form of his life, just over two weeks after he won the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham with a Championship and National record of 22.31m.
Finishing second in Timaru was Canadian Tim Nedow (third at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games) on 20.77m and third went to Australian record holder Damien Birkinhead on 20.75m.
Behind them were former double world indoor champion, Ryan Whiting from USA, 2014 Glasgow champion O'Dayne Richards (Jamaica) and 2016 World Junior champion Konard Bukowiecki (Poland).
The women's event was won by Canadian Brittany Crew with a best throw of 17.89m from compatriot Taryn Suttie (16.99m) and Brittany Smith (USA) with 16.04m.
New Zealanders Tori Owers, Jayden Busch and Lauren Bruce filled the next three placings with 16 year old Busch setting a new personal best.
The athletes now head to Christchurch to compete in The Big Shot on Friday evening where double Olympic Champion Dame Valerie Adams will join the women's field to take on the North Americans including the two Canadians that Dame Valerie will meet at the Commonwealth Games in April.
The final meeting of the series will be the Sir Graham Douglas International Track Challenge on Sunday 25 March at the Trusts Stadium in Waitakere.
- RNZ
