Final qualification mark was set at 20.00 metres, and athletes reaching that marked qualified for the final. Where less than twelve made the mark, the first twelve athletes were to qualify for the final as of right. In the event, three athletes qualified through reaching the mark; the next nine qualified for the final without reaching the mark.
New Zealand's Tomas Walsh was the best mark from the first round, at 21.24 metres, a new Commonwealth Games record
