A first medal for New Zealand at this year's athletics world championships in Doha

Tom Walsh has earned bronze in a competition where one centimetre separated first to third.

American Joe Kovacs won with a final round heave of 22.91 metres, and Walsh was relegated behind Ryan Crouser on count back.

Those are the three longest throws in the sport since American Randy Barnes heaved the world record in 1990 - Barnes was subsequently outed for drug use that year and received a lifetime ban in 1998.

Walsh's still hunting that mark.