The 22-year-old Ethan Katzberg claimed Canada’s historic Olympic gold medal in the hammer throw event with his monstrous first throw in the men’s event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Paris 2024 Olympics: Men's hammer throw final - Ethan Katzberg breached the 80m mark twice
The reigning world champion Ethan Katzberg started the men’s hammer throw final night with 84.12 metres. He had another giant throw that night, which was his third throw, and it managed the distance of 82.28m.
It was the first Olympic gold medal for Canada in any hammer throw event. It was Canada’s first Olympic medal in the men’s hammer throw event since Antwerp 1920. Previously, the country had two Olympic medals in the men’s hammer throw event: Con Walsh’s bronze at London 1908 and Duncan Gillis’ silver at Stockholm 1912.
Although he was the favourite, Katzberg didn’t expect the monstrous throw on that night.
The Canadian later said, as reported by Reuters, “I don’t think I expected it, but I had the preparation in mind to get a good round on the first throw, and to throw 84 metres felt really good.”
No other 80m mark on the night
None of the competitors managed to reach the 80m mark on the night. Hungarian Bence Halasz claimed the silver medal, thanks to his third throw of 79.97m.
Ukrainian Mykhaylo Kokhan earned the bronze medal by managing the best distance of 79.39m. After Oleksandr Krykun’s bronze medal in Atlanta 1996, Kokhan became the second Ukrainian to win an Olympic medal in the men’s hammer throw event.
Norwegian Eivind Henriksen was the other athlete to breach the 79m mark on that night, as he finished in fourth place with his season-best throw of 79.18m.
