B.C.'s hammer throw is flying high after 2 Olympic golds: coaches
Ethan Katzberg, Camryn Rogers made history in Paris by winning Canada's first ever gold medals in event
While running events like the 100 metres often garner much of the track-and-field attention at the Olympic Games, two B.C. athletes have shone a spotlight on the hammer throw with gold-medal-winning performances in Paris.
On Sunday, 22-year-old Ethan Katzberg from Nanaimo, B.C., became the first ever Canadian to win the gold medal in hammer throw, and became the event's youngest Olympic gold medallist in the process.
Two days later, his gold was matched by 25-year-old Camryn Rogers from Richmond, B.C., in the women's hammer throw.
Before this week, Canada hadn't been on the Olympic hammer throw podium in over a century — and no Canadian had ever won gold. Now it's only the second country to win gold in both men's and women's events at the same Olympic Games.
It's proof that the hammer throw has a bright future in Canada and B.C., according to athletics coaches.
Rogers' former high school coach, Garrett Collier, said the athlete's performance was "surreal to watch" and that it's a culmination of all the hard work she has put in.
"My dad was the first one to kind of discover her, and and pulled her off the track and sent her to the [hammer throwing] ring," Collier recalled.
"By the time I got to work with her, she was a very talkative, very bright young lady who worked very hard — she did everything we've ever asked of her and more."
As a young athlete, Rogers was very gifted and every month it felt like she'd reach a new level, Collier said.
While Rogers went on to train with a different coach, she and Collier remain close.
"My daughters still love it when 'Auntie Cam' comes to visit," he said.
Collier now runs the B.C. Throws Project, funded by B.C. Athletics. He said the project, which hosts provincial development camps to create a community of throwers — in hammer throw, javelin, shot put and discus — is helping put athletes on international podiums.
"We're just going to keep building and we're going to capitalize on this success and just keep doing whatever we can to get more of our hammer throwers on the podium," Collier said.
Megann VanderVliet from B.C. Athletics is thrilled the province is now on the map when it comes to the hammer throw.
"It's really a testament to the incredible coaches we have and the really strong club system we have in the province as well," she said, pointing out that both Katzberg and Rogers started in their local clubs.
Athletes start the hammer throw as early as 12 years old, and high school championships allow athletes to move from other sports.
While Rogers was a hammer thrower from the start of high school, Katzberg didn't start until later.
"It's never too late to pick it up," said VanderVliet, who was a hammer thrower herself and didn't start until her 20s.
"Camryn and Ethan, they just picked it up one day and said, 'I'll give this a try,' and they're now Olympic champs."
After the momentum built up at the Olympics this year, VanderVliet says the growth can be unlimited — as long as there is enough funding to increase capacity in all facilities across the province, not just the major hubs.
The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport told CBC News that the B.C. government invests $50 million in sport each year. This includes $80,000 toward B.C. Athletics High-Performance Arthlete Support programs, which include B.C. Throws.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Alex Nguyen