Ethan Katzberg Shines with Gold at Hammer Throw in Paris Olympics

Ethan Katzberg of Canada made headlines at the Paris Olympics, clinching the gold medal in men’s hammer throw with a stunning throw of 84.12 meters. His first throw was his best, and it set the tone for his entire competition.

The last time Canada saw a medal in men’s hammer throw was an impressive 112 years ago when Duncan Gillis took silver in Stockholm in 1912. Con Walsh also brought home bronze for Canada back in 1908, showing how long it has been since Canada celebrated success in this event.

Katzberg had shown his potential ahead of the finals, marking the longest throw of the qualification round with a 79.93 meter launch. His fellow Canadian, Rowan Hamilton, also made it to the finals, finishing ninth with a throw of 76.59 meters, but none could match Katzberg’s spectacular performance.

The young athlete, only 22 years old, has had a fantastic journey in recent years. In 2022, he earned a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, and continued to shine with gold medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and Pan American Games.

Katzberg trains under the guidance of Dylan Armstrong, who won a bronze medal for Canada in shot put at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

On the same day, Canada also celebrated Wyatt Sanford, who secured a bronze medal in boxing, marking Canada’s first medal in the sport in 28 years. Although he lost by a close decision to French fighter Sofiane Oumiha, Sanford still placed third due to the boxing format that awards multiple bronze medals.

In 1996, David Defiagbon won silver in Atlanta, and before that, Lennox Lewis won gold at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, making it a long wait for a podium finish in Canadian boxing.

Eric Peters also competed but faced a tough match against Mauro Nespoli, which ended his journey in archery as he fell in the quarter-finals.

Many Canadians were on the field on Sunday, including Camryn Rogers, who had a solid performance in the women’s hammer throw. She topped her qualifying group and is on track to compete for a medal soon.

Audrey Leduc and Jacqueline Madogo both participated in the women’s 200 meters, with Leduc qualifying for the semifinals while Madogo aimed for a personal best. Savannah Sutherland also advanced to the semifinals in the 400-meter hurdles.

Sadly, Ceili McCabe and Regan Yee did not make it past the first round in the women’s steeplechase. In men’s sprints, Craig Thorne finished seventh in his heat and will have to enter the repechage to move forward.

In golf, Corey Conners performed well in the final round, finishing tied for ninth place, while Nick Taylor rounded out the competition in 30th place, both representing Canada proudly.

However, it was a disappointing day for the Canadian women’s basketball team. They fell to Nigeria with a score of 79-70, resulting in their elimination from the tournament after failing to win in the preliminary rounds.

Despite their initial expectations, the team found themselves at the bottom of their group, which also included strong contenders like France and Australia.