“You got me going”: Tearful Walsh squashes retirement talk after Paris heartbreak

Just over 24 hours after Tom Walsh's heartbreaking injury-enforced exit from the shot put circle at Paris 2024, it was clear the pain was still raw.

Perhaps the fact that he was "a few beers deep" with some of his teammates - one of the final stages of his grieving process - contributed to the well of emotions triggered when discussing the unwavering support provided by his family, both over the past few years and in the immediate aftermath of his abbreviated outing at the Stade de France.

"You got me going," Walsh told SENZ Breakfast, his voice wavering.

"Obviously they're much more aware of the season I've had. So, it's pretty special to share a few words with them.

"It's pretty cool to have my physio and my coach here. They've got me through it."

Walsh's Diamond league season had been plagued by ongoing pelvic and abductor issues. He ramped up the treatment for both heading into Paris but wasn't able to hold it together during a "gutting" final.

Despite his ailments, the Timaru product insists he entered the final with no lingering mental roadblocks concerning how his body may hold up. In fact, he says his second throw felt great out of the hand, until he felt that dreaded "pop".

"All I wanted to do through the qualifying in the finals was go out there, commit and roll the dice and have a good go," he said.

"I'm pretty proud of myself that I was able to do that.

"The throw that I essentially got injured on was a really good throw. I committed to the throw. I went after it, and I got myself a chance to, to throw a long way and it actually felt really good. If I was overthinking it, then I wouldn't have committed to the throws.

"Then the old groin went pop and didn't play ball."

And while he may have come up short in his bid to become the first Kiwi male to win athletics medals at three consecutive events - with bronzes at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 - Walsh remains adamant he's completely committed to snaring another at Los Angeles 2028.

The 32-year-old says his passion for the sport still burns as bright as ever.

"I still love what I do," he told co-host Scotty Stevenson.

"I still know that the body is still in good enough shape to throw it at a high level and challenge for medals and win medals, and I still want to do it.

"You're going to have to keep reporting about me for a little bit longer."

Listen to the full interview below: