Katzberg sets new competition record, defends men’s hammer throw world title in Tokyo

Canada's Ethan Katzberg competes in the men's hammer throw final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Ethan Katzberg looked like he might be in for a fight to defend his men’s hammer throw title after a competitive first round Tuesday at the world athletics championships.

Any drama, however, was quickly erased by Katzberg’s competition-record toss as the mustachioed Canadian extended the nation’s recent hammer throw dominance.

Katzberg’s second throw of 84.70 metres comfortably held up as the winning mark as the 23-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., added a second straight world title to the Olympic gold he won last year in Paris. 

“I knew it was going to be a very strong field. I didn’t think four people were going to throw over 82 (metres),” Katzberg said. “I don’t know if that’s ever happened.”

“To have that kind of competition at a major finals, that’s what I want,” he added. “That’s what motivates me.”

The winning throw shattered the previous championship record of 83.63 metres, set in 2007 by Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus. It also eclipsed Katzberg’s previous Canadian record of 84.38 metres set last year at the Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya.

The long-standing world record is 86.74 metres, set by Yuriy Sedykh of the Soviet Union at the 1986 European championships.

Katzberg’s performance came a day after Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C., completed the same feat, defending her world title with the second-farthest throw of all time as she eyes a second straight Olympic gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Katzberg’s winning throw, which caused some of his rivals to shake their heads in disbelief, narrowly stayed inbounds and was nearly two metres ahead of Merlin Hummel’s silver-winning throw of 82.77. The German’s toss was the best of a first round that saw three competitors go over 81 metres.

Hungary’s Bence Halasz, who finished second behind Katzberg in Paris, took bronze at 82.69 metres. Halasz defeated Katzberg in back-to-back meets on Aug. 12 and Aug. 16 but was no match for the Canadian on the biggest stage of the season.

Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine also eclipsed 82 metres, finishing fourth with a personal best of 82.02 metres.

“This is probably something that will be stored in the hammer-throw realm,” Katzberg said. “There’s Merlin, first round, huge (personal best). Misha (Kokhan), fifth round, personal best, and then myself with the championship record.

“I don’t know if that’s happened, and four people over 82 is exceptional.”

Despite big throws from his competitors, no one ended up close to besting Katzberg. Three of his six throws were long enough to win gold on Tuesday, including his fifth and sixth attempts at 83.07 metres and 83.73 metres respectively.

Canada now has three medals — all gold — in Tokyo. Evan Dunfee of Richmond won Canada’s first title Saturday in the 35-kilometre racewalk.

Rogers was the first Canadian athlete to ever defend a world title on Monday, and Katzberg followed suit Tuesday.

Another of Canada’s record four returning champions looking to repeat in Tokyo is Edmonton’s Marco Arop, who narrowly qualified for the men’s 800-metre semifinal.

Arop overcame a late stumble and finished third in his heat in one minute 45.39 seconds. 

While he gained automatic qualification with his finish, the time was the slowest of all the runners moving on to Thursday’s semifinal.

Arop said there was no contact, but two runners ahead of him were running close to each other and he wanted to avoid any problems.

“It got a little sticky at the end, but I just wanted to stay out of trouble and fight for third place,” Arop said.

He said he wasn’t concerned with the tight confines of the race.

“You get a feel for where guys are and I felt like I had it this time,” he said. “There was no point where I felt any panic.”

Arop, ranked second in the world, won all three 800-metre races of this year’s inaugural Grand Slam of Track season. 

The 800 final is Saturday.

The other Canadian defending champion is decathlete Pierce LePage of Whitby, Ont., who will compete in his event Saturday and Sunday after missing the Paris Olympics with a herniated disc.

Also Monday, Toronto’s Gabriela DeBues-Stafford raced to 11th place in the women’s 1,500-metre final with a season-best time of three minutes 59.65 seconds. 

She finished fifth in the event in the same venue at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but missed two years to injury before returning to action this season.

“I think a sub-four (minutes), I can ask for more but I can’t be greedy,” DeBues-Stafford said.

“I’m kind of happy I was there in the last lap, but I kind of wish I just went for it at 200 (metes to go).”

Competition continues through Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2025.