The New Zealand giant, a part-time builder by day, has become the most decorated athlete in history at the World Indoor Championships

New Zealander Tom Walshthe oldest participant in the shot put final, at 34 years old, finished first at the World Indoor Championships in Torun.

He managed to retain the title he won last year in Nanjing after a spectacular finish that earned him his fourth gold medal and seventh of his career in the competition – a male record.

For four rounds of throws, the American Jordan Geist took first place thanks to one of 21.64 m, achieved in the very opening, followed by three more exceeded.

Tom Walsh, brilliant in the last attempt

But Walsh, a part-time builder by day – who won the 2017 outdoor world title in London and will try for a third straight Commonwealth title in Glasgow later this year – continued to put in brick after brick to close in on his American opponent.

Walsh, who is 1.85 m tall and weighs 120 kgtook the lead in the fifth round by two centimeters with a throw of 21.66m. Geist again made a mistake on the penultimate throw of the final and only managed 21.36m in the final, unable to dethrone Walsh.

As a form of celebration, he finished like a true champion, recording his best performance of the season, de 21.82 m in his sixth attempt.

The New Zealander, who won Olympic bronze medals at Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020thus making history with a world indoor record that includes four gold medals – 2016, 2018, 2025 and 2026 –, a silver medal in 2024 and bronze medals in 2022 and 2014. It all started for him in Poland – but who can say it ended here?

Tom Walsh: “It's great to see that I can still make it in front of the youngsters”

Tom Walsh in action at the 2026 Indoor WC Photo: Imago Images

“My whole career started in Poland with the bronze medal at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot,” said Walsh, quoted by AFP.

“If someone had told me then that I would still be here, winning medals at every edition since then, I would have told them they were dreaming. It's great to see that I can still hold my own against the youngsters“, he specified.

Walsh, who also has an outdoor world bronze in Doha in 2019, added: “My target for today was to throw 22m and win a medal. I didn't quite get 22m but I won the gold so that's pretty good.

22.90 mit's Tom Walsh's best free throw of his career

I was happy that I was able to improve my performance as the competition progressed. Throwing in last when you know you've won sometimes drains your energy, but other times it can give you a boost, and that's what happened to me today“, he concluded, referring to the achievement of 21.82 m.

In the shot put event, the Romanian Rareș Toader (28 years old), European indoor champion last year, finished the final in 12th position, with a throw of 19.91 m achieved in the second attempt.

Maria Mutola from Mozambique, the former middle distance athlete, now 53, holds the world record for most indoor medals with nine. But no man apart from Walsh reached a total of six.