Athletics: Walsh breaks Gill's record

New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has thrown 20.45 metres in Melbourne today to set a New Zealand record.. Photo / Brett Phibbs

New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has thrown 20.45 metres in Melbourne today to break Jacko Gill's New Zealand record.

Walsh threw 20.30m last weekend in Christchurch but managed 15cm further at the Melbourne meeting to snatch the senior record.

The new mark is seven centimetres more than the previous record of 20.38m set by Gill.

Walsh's throw meets the qualifying distance for the World Indoor champs in Poland in March and is also a B qualifier for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.