Kiwi shotputter Tom Walsh is downplaying his surprise loss to Jacko Gill at a pre-Christmas meet in Auckland

Normally the bridesmaid to Walsh's donning of the white dress, Gill won the Night of Fives event at the Millennium Institute with a throw of 21.05 metres.

Walsh cleared 20 metres once with a heave of 20.14 metres.

But he says he wasn't even expecting to throw past the 20 metre mark due to the early training phase he's in.