Katzberg hopes Rogers can lift Canada to double gold in hammer throw

After Ethan Katzberg won the men's hammer throw at the Paris Olympics, it's Camryn Rogers' turn to go for gold in the women's event.

The two athletes put Canada on the map as a hammer throw nation by sweeping the top of the podium at last year's world championships in Budapest, Hungary.

They're partway to holding up that reputation in Paris, and Katzberg is excited about what double Olympic gold could mean for the sport back home.

"It happened last year in Budapest, and then for it to happen in the Olympics, that would be incredible for hammer throw in Canada and just athletics in general," Katzberg said Monday. "Bring some more attention to a lesser-known event in athletics. I think it's really great for hammer throw in Canada."

Katzberg, a 22-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., dominated the competition Sunday with a winning throw of 84.12 metres on his first attempt. None of his opponents broke 80.

Earlier Sunday, the 25-year-old Rogers of Richmond, B.C., won her group with a throw of 74.69 metres, the second furthest throw of the day, to advance to Tuesday's final.

"She looks like she's in good shape. Every time she competes, she looks like she was born for that," Katzberg said of the top-ranked Rogers. "She's an incredible competitor, I wish her all the best for her competition. Qualifying looked easy. I'm really excited to watch that."

Before the Paris Games, Canada had never won gold in the hammer throw and spent over a century off the podium.

Katzberg's medal was the country's first in the event since Duncan Gillis earned silver at the 1912 Stockholm Games.

Rogers said earlier this summer that Canada's sudden rise in the sport isn't a fluke.

"Things like this don't just happen," Rogers said at the Canadian track and