Kirt last competed at the World Championships in Doha in 2019 where, while he won silver, seriously injured his shoulder, having to miss the Tokyo Olympics last summer as a result.

Kirt, 32, threw 73.67m to win at the domestic championships held in the Kadriorg Stadium in Tallinn on Saturday (see gallery above), albeit well short of his PB, which exceeds the 90m-mark.

Kirt said after the competition that.: "I have postponed my start for an embarrassingly long time."

"The Estonian championships were the final straw - we can't postponed any more. But as you can see, such steps are inconvenient and have to be taken. The first attempt was also rough, but in the end it's a matter of timing."

"Things are pretty good now. I was still looking for ways to not compete at home. There has been a pretty long break and the nervous tension before the race is uncomfortable compared with when I was at peak level," Kirt went on.

"However, as in life – for every step that seems awkward and difficult ... such steps have to be taken. I'm not yet world-class, not even close to that, but a positive step towards that, and I'm trying to work on it and move on."

Kirt's entire set of throws were 65.71m, 73.67m, Misthrow, 70.53m, 69.57m. His personal best of 90.61m remains the Estonian record.

Janek Õiglane won silver (71.18m) while Kunnar Erich Viisel took the bronze (69.16m).

Meanwhile, Rasmus Mägi set an domestic record of 45.35.in the men's 400m, a tenth of a second faster than his previous PB and finishing over two seconds ahead of second-placed Lukas Lessel (47.37). Tauri Tamm took the third place (48.73). 

Other winners from Saturday, June 25

Women's javelin: Gedly Tugi (56.21).

Men's 100m: Karl Erik Nazarov (10.41)

Women's 100-meter hurdles: Diana Suumann (13.42)

Women's 400m: Marielle Kleemeier (55.92).

Women's 1500m: Helin Meier (4.30.00)

Men's 3000m hurdles: Kaur Kivistik (9.15.01). 

Women's 3000m hurdles: Laura Maasik (10.25.71).

Men's pole vault: Eerik Haamer (5.50)

Women's discus: Hanna-Maria Kupper (49.51).

Women's triple jump: Darja O'Connel-Bronin (12.70).

Men's triple jump: Jaak Joonas Uudmäe (15.90) (NB only three participants in this event).

Results from Friday, June 24 - Heino Lipp memorial event

Shot-putter Jander Heil won the men's event, with his third attempt measured at 19.45 – though not at Kadriorg; Heil made his winning throw in the Heino Lipp memorial competition held in Maidla Mõis park, Rapla County, though still a part of the domestic championships.

Kevin Sakson won the silver medal with 17.21 and Karl Koha won the silver with 16.25.

Also at Maidla, Kätlin Piirimäe won the Estonian women's shot-put (14.44). Overall winner was Fanny Roos, a Swede, with Estonian roots, with a throw of 18.93.

The women's domestic record set way back in 1980 by Jekaterina Minina (18.03) remains intact.

Heino Lipp (1922-2006) was one of the greatest decathletes of his era, though was barred by the occupying Soviet regime from competing in the 1952 Olympic Games in nearby Helsinki. He was 12-time Soviet decathlon champion.

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