Katzberg puts the hammer down with easy win in Canadian championships

OTTAWA — Ethan Katzberg, the reigning Olympic and world champion in men’s hammer throw, added another title to his impressive resume with a first-place finish at the Canadian track and field championships in Ottawa on Saturday.

Katzberg, of Nanaimo, B.C., won gold in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympics and in Budapest at the 2023 World Championships. He threw for 81.33 metres in Ottawa to easily beat runner-up Jeremiah Nubbe (71.78) of the Kamloops Track and Field Club, and third-place finisher Rowan Hamilton (71.25) of Chilliwack, B.C.

Katzberg set the Canadian record of 84.38 metres on April 20, 2024, and set the national championship record of 82.60 metres on June 26, 2024.

Marco Arop, who lives in Edmonton, is the reigning world champion in the 800 metres, but it took everything he had to beat Justin O’Toole of Montreal to the finish line on Saturday. Arop clocked 1:45.44 — just 0.7 seconds ahead of O’Toole. Matti Erickson of Nelson, B.C., was third in 1:45.97.

Maeliss Trapeau of the Ottawa Lions track club won the women’s 800-metre final in 2:01.79, just beating Jazz Shukla (2:01.95) of Toronto to the finish line. Jenica Swartz of the Edmonton Columbians track club was third in 2:02.46.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.