Canadian hammer throwers win Diamond League Silesia

Canada’s Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers won the men’s and women’s hammer throw events at the Diamond League meet Sunday at Silesian Stadium in Chorzow, Poland.

Katzberg, from Nanaimo, , won the men’s competition with a best throw of 92 metres, achieved in the fifth of six rounds. After missing on his third attempt, his other five throws all exceeded the second-place mark of 25 metres set by Germany’s Merlin Hummel. Hungary’s Bence Halász finished third with 44 metres.

Rogers, from Richmond, , took the women’s title with a best throw of 09 metres on her fourth attempt. All but her final throw surpassed the 23 metres of American DeAnna Price, who finished second. Italy’s Sara Fantini was third at 95 metres.

Both athletes are reigning Olympic champions and have topped the podium at the last two world championships. They also took gold at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, according to a report by The Canadian Press.

Men’s 100m and other events

The meet also featured the men’s 100 metres, in which veteran sprinter Andre De Grasse of Markham, , finished sixth, as reported by The Canadian Press. CBC’s preview of the event noted that De Grasse was scheduled to compete in a loaded field of 18 sprinters, including reigning world champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica, two-time Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek of the United States and former world champion Christian Coleman.

The women’s 100m field was equally strong, according to CBC, featuring Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs, American Sha’Carri Richardson — the 2023 world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist — and Tina Clayton, runner-up at last year’s world championships.

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

The global track and field season will conclude with the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled for Sept. 11-13 in Budapest. Katzberg has automatically qualified for the event as the reigning Olympic and world champion in the men’s hammer throw. Rogers, despite holding the same titles on the women’s side, will not compete because the women’s hammer throw is not included on the championship program, CBC reported.