World champs chance for Hawke’s Bay shot putter Nick Palmer

Nick Palmer, of Hastings, has been named in the New Zealand team for the men's shot put at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on September 13-21. Photo / Athletics NZ

Hawke’s Bay shot put hope Nick Palmer thought his dreams of making the World Athletics Championships were over when he didn’t medal at the university champs in July.

But that’s all changed with the Athletics New Zealand naming of a squad of 14 in which the 25-year-old Palmer had earlier hoped to be part of a three-pronged Kiwi attack on the men’s shot put title now just a fortnight away.

The championships are in Tokyo on September 13-21, and, as it happens, it’s a two-pronged attack, with Palmer joining top medal hope Tom Walsh, with second Kiwi hope Jacko Gill withdrawing because of injury.

Hastings Athletics Club member and former Karamu High School pupil Palmer moved into senior black singlet calculations when he threw past 20 metres for the first time as a 23-year-old early in 2024.

He threw a personal best of 20.32 metres in Germany on July 14, but was unable to beat the 20m mark again at the World University Championships later that month, despite placing 4th.

He had achieved world athletics qualifying criteria but was just short of the Athletics New Zealand’s standard, and said at the time it was time to return home and “get better for next year.”

He also missed the mark at a Winter Throws meeting in Auckland on August 23.

Palmer represented New Zealand at the World Under 20 championships in 2018 and is the current Oceania champion.

US-based Hawke’s Bay runner George Beamish, who went to Hereworth School in Havelock North before heading for Whanganui Collegiate, is also in the team, looking to get into the 3000m steeplechase medals after finishing in 5th place at the 2023 championships in Budapest.

Doug Laing has been a reporter for 52 years, more than 40 of them in Hawke’s Bay, at the Central Hawke’s Bay Press, the Napier Daily Telegraph and, Hawke’s Bay Today. He has covered most aspects of general news and sport.