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Victory in Rome for New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh
Photo:
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE
New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh's stellar 2025 season has continued with victory at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.
Walsh, who qualified third for the final, was on song right away, nailing 21.89 with the first of his six attempts, a season's best distance by 18 centimetres.
It ultimately proved to be too good for the rest of the field, with Italian Zane Weir coming second with 21.67, three centimetres ahead of Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica, who was third.
The win in Rome is Walsh's fifth career victory at a Diamond League event, following successes in Brussels in 2015 and 2019, and Zurich in 2016 and 2018.
The win also follows Walsh claiming his third World Indoor Title in February, in China.
Two other New Zealanders were in action in Rome.
Olympic high jump champion Hamish Kerr was unable to produce his best, finishing just sixth with a height of 2.20.
Despite qualifying in first place for the final, he wasn't able to produce his best, failing at all three attempts at 2.23, well below his season's best of 2.32 and his personal best of 2.36.
Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, who finished seventh at last year's Paris Olympics and is a two-time World Indoor Champion, won the high jump, with a leap of 2.32.
And 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Imogen Ayris was off the pace in the womens pole vault.
She finished eighth recording 4.50, 30cm behind winner American Sandi Morris.
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