Tom Walsh

2017 world shot put champion, most decorated World Indoor athlete.

Tomas Walsh was born on 1 March 1992 in Timaru, New Zealand, and grew up on a farm just outside the town, coincidentally also the birthplace of 1936 Olympic 1500m champion Jack Lovelock, crediting his rural upbringing with giving him a grounded, mature strength. Walsh's father, Peter, won the New Zealand junior shot put title in the 1960s, and his mother, Karen, always wanted him to become an All Black, though he combined rugby, cricket, and hockey with shot put and discus from as young as seven or eight before eventually specialising in throwing. Walsh won the world outdoor title at the 2017 World Championships in London, overcoming an adductor strain and beating favourite Ryan Crouser, and has become the most decorated athlete in World Indoor Championship shot put history, winning six medals across consecutive editions. Walsh has continued to combine his athletics career with working as a builder in Christchurch, and remains a prominent advocate for dyslexia awareness, having been diagnosed with the condition himself, while continuing to compete at the top level of world shot put well into his thirties.

Powerful thrower with exceptional technique and consistency

One of New Zealand's greatest field athletes and world-class shot putter

• World champ 2017
• World Indoor champ 2016,2018,2025
• Commonwealth gold 2014,2018,2022