History has been made!
On Sunday, Vancouver Island’s Ethan Katzberg made an unforgettable mark at the Paris Olympics with an outstanding performance.
The 22-year-old from Nanaimo secured the gold medal in the men’s hammer throw, becoming the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in this event.
Katzberg’s achievement ends a long Canadian drought in the hammer throw.
The last Canadian to reach the podium was Duncan Gillis, who earned silver in 1912 at the Stockholm Games. Con Walsh also won bronze at the 1908 London Olympics, making Katzberg’s victory a landmark moment in Canadian athletics.
Competing at the iconic Stade de France, Katzberg opened with a commanding throw of 84.12 metres, a mark that proved unbeatable as his closest competitors failed to surpass 80 metres. He also recorded a second-best throw of 82.28 metres.
In just two years, Katzberg has risen from a Commonwealth Games silver medallist in 2022 to a world champion in 2023, and now an Olympic champion.
His triumph not only makes him the first Canadian to medal and win a world title in the hammer throw but also highlights his exceptional talent and dedication.
On the podium, Bence Halasz of Hungary took silver with a throw of 79.97 metres, while Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine claimed bronze with 79.39 metres.
