NANAIMO — Breaking his own personal best record, a local athlete proudly medalled at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England.
Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo earned silver in the hammer throw event with a throw of 76.36 metres, which easily beat his previous best in the event.
“I wasn’t expecting a two-metre personal best, but it felt amazing and I was really happy about it. Everything just connected and clicked. I made it happen.”
Katzberg said it was an incredible experience throwing in front of about 32,000 people at Alexander Stadium, which hosted track and field events.
“The crowd was unbelievable to be able to throw in front of that many people was quite the experience for sure. Meet a lot of new people, new faces, and a lot of names, but it was really cool being part of that team.”
He had six throws in total, with each counting towards earning a medal.
While he felt some jitters when he first arrived, he was able to gain more confidence with each throw.
“Throughout the six throws, I kept increasing my distance. It was a very good series of throws I was having, so it made me feel a lot more comfortable having a really good progression through the competition.”
He managed to beat out 12 other participants to earn silver, but was unable to beat England’s Nick Miller, who took the gold medal.
L-R. Ethan Katzberg, gold medalist Nick Miller of England, and Alexandros Poursanidis from Cyprus was the bronze medalist in the hammer throw event. (submitted photo)With his coach Dylan Armstrong supporting him from the sidelines and helping him navigate through the competition, Katzberg was beaming with pride after being presented with the silver medal.
“It felt unbelievable. Being able to run around the track holding the Canadian flag felt amazing.”
When he arrived back in Canada, his family and friends were there to greet him, including his mom who brought a big congratulatory sign.
Katzberg plans to take the rest of the summer off to decompress on the Island.
Canada walked away with 92 medals in total this year, 26 gold, 32 silver, and 34 bronze during the July 28 to Aug. 8 games.
Other island athletes who picked up medals include Nicholas Bennett, a paralympic swimmer from Parksville who won gold in the men’s 200-metre freestyle S14.
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