Hawke's Bay shot putter Nick Palmer completes a training session in the countdown to the under-20 world champs. Photo/Paul Taylor
The Tom Walsh factor has to be worth a few centimetres to Hawke's Bay shot putter Nick Palmer and he knows it.
"Being able to compete and train alongside him is a big positive. Watching what he does behind the scenes and what it takes to be a world champion ... he is one of the best to ever throw a shot put and it has been good to see how Tom operates," Palmer said as he reflected on his selection in the New Zealand team for the July world under-20 athletics championships in Finland.
Karamu High School year 13 student Palmer, 17, and Cantabrian Ryan Ballantyne are the only shot putters in the Kiwi team. While it would have been a surprise if Palmer had missed the cut he was still relieved to get official confirmation yesterday.
"It's finally done," Palmer said before heading to the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park in Hastings for a training session.
To qualify for Finland, Palmer had to produce 18.60m with a 6kg shot. He has regularly reached the 18.90m mark in official competitions, the last time was at the Australian championships last month.
The Hastings Athletics Club member, who is still No 1 in the world with the 5kg weight in the under-18 age group with his 21.27m effort on the way to winning the South Island championship in Timaru in December, is realistic about his chances in Finland.
"Tackling an under-20 field will be a big step up ... a reasonably big challenge. It will be my first time competing in Europe and but I'm confident I can do a top-eight finish. There are likely to be 20-30 starters which means the top 12 will qualify for the finals," Palmer explained.
He agreed receiving news of his selection midway through the school holidays was perfect timing.
"Now we can plan a couple of mock competitions and small officials ones for next week during our training camp."
Hawke's Bay Secondary Schools 2017 Sportsperson of the Year Palmer and Ballantyne are both trained by Athletics New Zealand's lead throwing coach Dale Stevenson of Christchurch, who also trains Walsh.
Next year Palmer will head to Canterbury University to begin a Bachelor of Sports Coaching degree so he can train more regularly with Stevenson.
He pointed out his body has never been in better shape and he won't be short of support in Finland.
"It will be my first major international competition and the whole family will be there," Palmer said, referring to parents Bob and Janine and older sister Georgia who is already based in Europe.
His selection for the Finland trip comes at the end of another memorable summer for Palmer and it's no surprise he will be a finalist in the junior category at the Hawke's Bay Sports Awards function on May 26.
The world's 12th ranked under-20 shot putter was the New Zealand flag bearer at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas last July where he won a silver medal.
At last month's national championships in Auckland he won silver in the under-20 age group behind Ballantyne and bronze in the senior men's event behind Walsh and Ballantyne.
His 21.27m effort, which beat the 2017 previous best under-18 throw of 20.99m recorded by an Indian rival with the 5kg weight, is a new Hawke's Bay-Gisborne record for 17-year-old competitors and a week before that performance Palmer won the New Zealand Secondary Schools title in Hastings with a 20.35m effort.
Hawke's Bay's top senior and junior shot-putter for the last five years, Palmer set a new HBG record for 19-year-old lifters with a 5kg weight of 18.83m in January at the same meet where he set a regional senior men's record of 16.49m with the 6kg weight.
For Palmer an average week of training goes from Monday to Saturday with Sunday always a rest day. He does three gym sessions each week as well as three to four throwing sessions.
"It's important to keep mobile in shot put so we get as much stretching and rehab in as we can. Because I use the rotational technique to throw, core work is extremely important as well as base strength training and developing overall power."
Hastings Athletics Club chairwoman Sharee Jones is rapt Palmer has got the nod for Finland.
"He has worked hard for it just as Georgia [sprinter Hulls] did when she represented our club at this level at the last under-20 world champs. Nick is the youngest in the 11-strong Kiwi team and I have no doubt he will be up to the task. If he has a good day he will achieve his goal of a top-eight finish," Jones said.