Ethan Katzberg will return to his home in Nanaimo, about seven weeks after winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris in the men's hammer throw. (submitted photo)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

golden boy

Public celebration confirmed for Nanaimo Olympic gold medalist

Sep 12, 2024 | 12:28 PM

NANAIMO — Several weeks after he captured a nation through his hammer throwing exploits in Paris, Nanaimo will finally get the opportunity to salute Ethan Katzberg in person.

A celebration is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26 beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Rotary Bowl in Nanaimo, honouring Katzberg who won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men’s hammer throw.

Mayor Leonard Krog made the announcement through a social media post on Thursday, Sept. 12, encouraging those attending to wear red and white.

The event will be live-streamed online and broadcast through Rogers TV on the central Island.

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Katzberg, 22, became the first Canadian medalist in the hammer throw since 1912 and the first to win gold in the event.

His achievement was matched days later by Richmond’s Camryn Rogers who took out the women’s hammer throw and complete a sweep in the event for Team Canada.

Katzberg, who lives and trains in Kamloops, dominated the field in the final.

His first throw of 84.12 metres was the only hammer thrown over 80 metres.

Nanaimo’s own Ethan Katzberg celebrates after winning gold in the men’s hammer throw event at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Sunday, Aug. 4. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

In talking with NanaimoNewsNOW after the competition, he admitted the occasion had caught up with him.

“I was nervous before that first throw, I can’t lie, I was really nervous…. after getting that 84.12 metres out there, they pretty much went away and I could really start enjoying myself.”

While training and competition have kept him busy since Paris, Katzberg said at the time he was keen to return to Nanaimo where he lived from a young age and fell in love with track and field.

“I was raised there my whole life, all my memories are from Nanaimo, that’s home for me.”

His parents were a very active part of the Nanaimo Track and Field Club, and it wasn’t long before Katzberg and his older sister were involved as well signing up for whatever events he could as an eager 14-year-old.

It was right around that time his sister decided to try a new event: the hammer throw.

“She was being coached by my dad, he was learning as much as he could about the hammer, and then I decided to start coming out to their training sessions and it looked like fun. If my sister was doing it, I’m typically following what she’s doing.”

Katzberg was joined by swimmer Summer McIntosh as co-flag bearers for the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.

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