Nanaimo is celebrating its newest Olympic champion as Ethan Katzberg secured a gold medal in the men’s hammer throw at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, August 4. The 22-year-old athlete made history with a remarkable throw of 84.12 meters, becoming the youngest gold medalist in the event’s history.
Katzberg, a former student of John Barsby Secondary School, achieved his gold medal-winning distance on his very first attempt, outpacing his competitors early in the competition. Hungary’s Bence Halasz took silver with a throw of 79.97 meters, while Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan claimed bronze with a distance of 79.39 meters.
In the medal round, each athlete had six throws, with the top eight advancing to the final round for three additional attempts. Despite fouling on his subsequent throws, Katzberg’s opening toss proved unbeatable, with an average swing velocity of 120-125 kilometers per hour.
This victory marks a historic moment for Canadian athletics, as Katzberg becomes the first Canadian to win gold in the men’s hammer throw. The only other medals Canada has earned in this event were over a century ago: a bronze by Con Walsh in the 1908 London Olympics and a silver by Duncan Gillis at the 1912 Stockholm Games.
Fellow Canadian Rowan Hamilton from Richmond also competed, finishing ninth with a best throw of 76.59 meters.
Katzberg’s Olympic success follows an impressive qualifying round on Friday, August 2, where he posted the top result with a throw of 79.93 meters. His personal best of 84.38 meters, achieved earlier this season, remains the longest throw recorded by any athlete in this competition.
The world record for the hammer throw stands at 86.74 meters, set by Russian Yuriy Sedykh in 1986, while the Olympic record of 84.80 meters was set by Sergey Litvinov in 1988.
Katzberg’s victory in Paris adds to his growing list of achievements, including winning the 2023 World Championships in Budapest with a then-Canadian record of 81.25 meters. He also set a championship record at the Canadian Olympic trials in Montreal this June with a throw of 82.60 meters. Katzberg’s recent form has been dominant, with victories in six of 12 competitions in 2023 and consistently placing in the top three.
In 2022, Katzberg earned a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, further establishing himself as a rising star in the sport.
Another athlete from Nanaimo, 21-year-old race walker Olivia Lundman, is set to compete in her event on Tuesday, August 6, at 10:30 p.m. Nanaimo time. She will be joined by her race partner and coach, Evan Dunfee of Richmond.