Tom Walsh from New Zealand injured himself in the men's shot put final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Shot-putter Tom Walsh admits 2025 is going to be different for him but nothing has changed as far as his ambitions are concerned.
Walsh is coming off one of the most difficult periods of his career, as well as one of the greatest moments of his life.
The big Cantabrian winced with pain during his second throw of the final at the Paris Olympics in August as he aggravated a groin injury that had hindered his build-up to the Games.
"Gutting" was how Walsh described that outing which denied him a chance of a third Olympic medal.
However, as the new year clicked over, the 32-year-old said he was feeling great.
"The injury is all done and dusted now and I've been feeling really good for about two months now," Walsh told RNZ.
That means he can return to competition, starting with the Sir Graeme Douglas International meeting in Auckland this weekend.
New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh Photo: supllied / Instagram
After the Olympics Walsh went straight into rehabilitation before taking a month off in October for the birth of his first child.
The arrival of his daughter allowed him to forget about throwing for a while.
"She's definitely a great grounder, she is not interested in me throwing a shot put so it is a new stage in life, but I'm still driven to achieve the goals that I think I'm capable of doing.
"This is the biggest period of time that I haven't competed in 12 years so it's definitely different, but I'm excited because it has been so long (since competing).
"That is why I do what I do, so I'm excited about getting back into that."
Walsh has been training fully for two months now, although he is slightly behind where he would normally be at this time of the year.
He is keen to get his national title back off Jacko Gill and hopefully get to the World Indoor Championships in China in March where he'll be defending the silver medal he won last year.
Walsh has no doubt that he can win on the world stage and has now set his sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"Absolutely, we've come up with a four-year plan for LA.
"My early 2024 season was the best I've ever done, second at the world indoors and had the most 22-metre throws that I've ever done in the early season too, so there were some great signs last year."
Walsh will compete in Auckland this weekend, Christchurch in a fortnight before the national championships and hopefully the World Indoor Championships.
Tom Walsh from New Zealand injured himself in the men's shot put final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
He isn't expecting too much this weekend when he comes up against Gill.
"I'd be happy if I could stick to all my work ons rather than chasing other things.
"The distance might not be where I'd want it to be but if I commit to the technical things I've been working on then that gives me the chance to throw as well as I can this weekend."
A number of New Zealand's top athletes are competing in Auckland on Sunday.
There will be another showdown between Lex Revell-Lewis and Tommy Te-Puni as they attempt to break the national 400m record.
Fresh off becoming the fastest New Zealander over 60m, Tiaan Whelpton moves up to the 100m.
Fifteen-year-old Sam Ruthe, who became the youngest 3000m national champion recently, will race over 1500 metres, while paralympians Anna Grimaldi and Will Steadman are also in action.
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