Try to get place in athletics event (4,3)
I believe the answer is:
shot put
'athletics event' is the definition.
'try to get place' is the wordplay.
'try' becomes 'shot' (shot is a kind of try**).
'to get' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'place' becomes 'put' ('put' can be a synonym of 'place').
'shot'+'put'='SHOT-PUT'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for shot put that I've seen before include "Competition in which a heavy metal ball is hurled" , "Throwing contest" , "Throwing event" , "Athletic field event" , "Olympic event" .)