Gill stars at Christchurch's 'Big Shot' event

(Getty)
(Getty)

Former world junior shotput champion Jacko Gill has been the star performer at the aptly named 'Big Shot' meeting in Christchurch this afternoon.

The 21-year-old set a New Zealand residents record and bettered the qualifying distance for the Olympics in the process.

Expecting to throw 20.5 metres, Gill was clearly rapt -- and more than a little relieved to achieve what he did.

Not only was 20.82m a personal best for the powerfully built Aucklander, it also was good enough to qualify for the Rio Olympics, and the best ever throw by a Kiwi in New Zealand.

"It's massive. Just to get the qualifier out of the way is neat -- I was a bit worried about that," he said.

The Big Shot was held in a gap-filler in downtown Christchurch, at a makeshift post-earthquake venue -- and among those watching on was Gill's arch rival Tom Walsh.

He still has the NZ record of 21.62m -- but couldn't compete because of a hip injury suffered in training yesterday.

"I'm no good today, still some soreness -- and it's amazing how you can feel in a couple of days," Walsh said.

"It seems a lot like an injury I did in Germany six months ago -- I was out for two weeks."

In good form was track star Nick Willis -- the former Olympic silver medallist too powerful in the street mile around the CBD.

Rio will be his fourth Olympics -- what these youngsters would do to follow in his footsteps.

Newshub.