Athletics: Nick Palmer banks on Olympian's tips

Bahamas-bound: Nick Palmer is the sole Bay athlete in an 11-strong Kiwi athletics contingent for the Commonwealth Youth Games. Photo/File

Hawke's Bay shot putter Nick Palmer reckons he's throwing better than ever before thanks to quality time with Olympian Tom Walsh.

Hastings Athletics Club member Palmer, 17, and Olympic bronze medallist Walsh are both coached by Christchurch-based Dale Stevenson. He has had several sessions with Walsh, including most of the last school holidays.

"It's good to see Tom regularly. It's a different sort of environment ... it can only be elite," Palmer said a month out from the biggest event of his career, the July 18-23 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas.

"I'm regularly throwing between 19 and 20 metres. That's doing it easily without putting much effort into it so we're pretty happy. We will start pushing it a bit harder during the coming month," Palmer said.

The country's No 1 on the under-18 rankings has a personal best of 19.97m with a 5kg weight which he recorded on his way to winning the Australian under-18 title during his first taste of international competition in April.

"I've got high hopes for the Bahamas ... definitely a podium finish. After our first three throws the field will be cut to the top eight and that's what I will be targeting initially," Palmer said.

The Bahamas trip will be a major step in Palmer's quest to qualify for next year's World Junior Champs in Finland. His coach won't be going with him as he will be travelling around Europe and the United States with Walsh.

Stevenson has coached Palmer for 15 months.

"He's taking me to the next level, I've seen massive improvements and I know exactly where I'm heading rather than just stumbling my way along.

"Dale's the sort of person who can change a few things and you just improve miles, he's a smart dude and he can see things you can't see yourself so it's really good to train with him," Palmer said.

While Palmer is unable to train in the normal shot put area at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park in Hastings because of the ground repairs a new throwing area has been established at the park.

"It's not a normal-sized competition area but it's a lot better than what some other regions have for training."

Palmer is training six days a week, often twice a day while still keeping up with his year 12 studies at Karamu High School.

"There are good teachers at Karamu who help keep me at the levels I want to be at."

Palmer will be one of 11 athletics reps in a Kiwi team of 34 which will also include 11 swimmers, three cyclists, five boxers and four beach volleyball players. Up to 1300 athletes are expected.