Katzberg hopes Rogers can throw for gold too

PARIS – After Ethan Katzberg won nan men’s hammer propulsion astatine nan Paris Olympics, it’s Camryn Rogers’ move to spell for golden successful nan women’s event.

The 2 athletes put Canada connected nan representation arsenic a hammer propulsion federation by sweeping nan apical of nan podium astatine past year’s world championships successful Budapest, Hungary.

They’re partway to holding up that estimation successful Paris, and Katzberg is excited astir what double Olympic golden could mean for nan athletics backmost home.

“It happened past twelvemonth successful Budapest, and past for it to hap successful nan Olympics, that would beryllium unthinkable for hammer propulsion successful Canada and conscionable athletics successful general,” Katzberg said Monday. “Bring immoderate much attraction to a lesser-known arena successful athletics. I deliberation it’s really awesome for hammer propulsion successful Canada.”

Katzberg, a 22-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., dominated nan title Sunday pinch a winning propulsion of 84.12 metres connected his first attempt. None of his opponents collapsed 80.

Earlier Sunday, nan 25-year-old Rogers of Richmond, B.C., won her group pinch a propulsion of 74.69 metres, nan 2nd furthest propulsion of nan day, to beforehand to Tuesday’s final.

Katzberg said he’s hanging astir Paris for 3 much days to be his badge ceremonial Monday night, watch nan Canadian men’s hoops squad play France successful nan quarterfinals Tuesday and cheer connected Rogers successful nan women’s hammer throw.

“She looks for illustration she’s successful bully shape. Every clip she competes, she looks for illustration she was calved for that,” Katzberg said of nan top-ranked Rogers. “She’s an unthinkable competitor, I wish her each nan champion for her competition. Qualifying looked easy. I’m really excited to watch that.”

Before nan Paris Games, Canada had ne'er won golden successful nan hammer propulsion and spent complete a period disconnected nan podium.

Katzberg’s badge was nan country’s first successful nan arena since Duncan Gillis earned metallic astatine nan 1912 Stockholm Games.

Rogers said earlier this summertime that Canada’s abrupt emergence successful nan athletics isn’t a fluke.

“Things for illustration this don’t conscionable happen,” Rogers said astatine nan Canadian way and section tests successful June. “To look backmost astatine each of nan astonishing athletes who person travel earlier america and laid nan groundwork to person nan support that we do now, nan passion and nan liking and nan excitement that we do astir throwing, I mean, it takes years of activity and planning.”

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“We person immoderate of nan champion athletes of each clip competing successful our events astatine this very moment,” she added. “To showcase that, to person group beryllium paying attraction and cognize what’s going connected and beryllium excited for us, for illustration what much could you inquire for going to nan Olympic Games?”

In a world of athletics wherever events for illustration nan 100-metre dash garner astir of nan public’s attention, Katzberg is gladsome he and Rogers tin radiance a spotlight connected nan niche athletics of hammer throw.

“It gets nan speech going, and to person 2 top-level athletes successful some nan men and nan women’s competitions is really breathtaking to see, and it doesn’t hap very often,” he said. “We’re coming up astatine nan aforesaid time, it’s really awesome to stock that pinch her.”

This study by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2024.