UPDATED: 6:55am – The 25 year old became the first New Zealand male athlete to win a title at the world track and field championships when he took the shotput competition at the London stadium yesterday.
He returned to the event today for the medal ceremony. Walsh threw 22.03m to finish 37cm ahead of American Joe Kovacs – the defending world champion and Olympic silver medallist. Kovacs appeared to have snatched the lead off Walsh with his final throw but it was ruled a foul.
He appealed the decision, and Walsh was made to wait almost two hours before learning the appeal had been rejected and he officially remained the winner.
Meanwhile the Bay of Plenty sprinter Joseph Millar has failed to progress from the heats of the 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships in London.
Millar finished 6th in his heat with a time of 20 point 97 seconds, just over half a second outside his best. The first three from the seven heats plus the next three fastest qualified for the semi-finals.
Millar finished fifth in his heat of the 100 metres earlier in the competition.
-RNZ
