3 Olympians talk about their golden moments at 2024 Paris Games
Ethan Katzberg couldn't have wished for a better Olympic debut.
The 22-year old hammer thrower from Nanaimo, B.C., hit 84.12 metres, almost four metres further than the Hungarian silver medalist, and within just a few metres of the world record. He did that on his first of three attempts.
"It's definitely a statement," Katzberg told The Current guest host Susan Bonner of that first throw.
And Katzberg wasn't the only one who found success at the Olympic Games.
Team Canada had several golden moments at the 2024 Summer Olympics, winning nine gold medals, seven silvers and 11 bronze medals. It was Canada's largest medal haul at a Summer Olympics, excluding the boycotted 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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Katzberg gained a lot of media attention at the Olympics, not only for his performance but also his physique. People from Australia and Germany jokingly claimed him as one of their citizens on social media and he's been compared to the Norse god of Thunder, Thor.
"It's a really exciting time to be a hammer thrower in Canada," Katzberg says.
Two days after Katzberg struck gold, so did fellow B.C. resident Camryn Rogers. Those medals in women's and men's hammer throw were Canada's first in the sport in 112 years.
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Katzberg says he's fortunate the pair have found success around the same time and have been able to motivate each other and "really put hammer throw on the map within Canada."
Katzberg topped off his Olympic experience with the "amazing honour" of being one of Canada's flag bearers for the closing ceremony, alongside Summer McIntosh, who won 3 three golds and one silver medal in