Timaru shot putter Tom Walsh has won the bronze medal at the world indoor athletics championships in Poland.
Walsh, a 22-year-old South Canterbury builder, was clearly not overawed in his first major competition, throwing a personal best of 21.26 metres with his final throw, and also setting a new national indoor record and equalling the Oceania mark.
He says words can't describe how he feels after coming into the 21-competitor event ranked 17th as the youngest by two years.
Walsh says he was just happy to get a PB with one round to go so he just went into the circle and give it a go to see what would happen - and "shit happened".
He spent the past week training with Valerie Adams and her coach Jean-Pierre Egger near Zurich in Switzerland.
The American Ryan Whiting defended his title with the winning throw of 22.05 metres, followed by Germany's David Storl with 21.79 metres.
Walsh beat the reigning Olympic champion Tomas Majewski of Poland out of the medals in front of his home crowd in the Ergo Stadium in the Polish city of Sopot.
