VANCOUVER — A history-making medal helped sway voters choosing who would win The Canadian Press male athlete of the award in 2024.
Hammer thrower Ethan Katzberg earned the honour for his golden performance at the Paris Olympics. He is Canada's first Olympic champion in the event and earned the country's first hammer throw medal since 1912.
Katzberg earned 17 of the 56 votes cast by sports editors, producers and reporters across Canada to narrowly beat Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award last year and picked up 14 votes, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid who had 13 votes.
“That’s incredible," Katzberg said of the feat. "Those are two highly achieving athletes who have done incredibly well in their respective sports. That's really cool.”
The Canadian Press began recognizing male and female athletes of the year in 1932.
Other previous male winners include hockey players Sidney Crosby (2007, 2009, 2010) and Carey Price (2015), basketball player Steve Nash (2002, 2005, 2006), and fellow track and field athletes Donovan Bailey (1996), Andre De Grasse (2016) and Damian Warner (2021).
“There are not many hammer throwers in the world. It's an almost-obsolete sport, but Katzberg showed what years of lonely dedication can do," Phil King of The Globe and Mail wrote. "He was an inspiration to athletes around the globe to keep trying, no matter how obscure your sport is.”
Getting to the top of the podium was an all-encompassing endeavour this year, Katzberg said.
“It was 150 per cent dedication to Paris, right? There wasn’t a lot of focus on anything else," he said. "And then, having that one moment to show all the work we put in, and everything going great, everything connecting at one time, it was a lot of emotions, a lot of energy. It was an incredibly special moment.”
The 22-year-old from Nanaimo, B.C., was a dominant force in the Olympic final.
His first throw stood up as the winner, measuring a whopping 84.12 metres. No other thrower surpassed the 80-metre mark.
The distance was just shy of the personal best 84.38 metres he threw at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya, on April 20.
Katzberg's success — combined with that of fellow Canadian Camryn Rogers, who won Olympic gold in the women's hammer throw — sparked a growing interest in the sport across the country.
“That puts a smile on my face," he said. "That's something I don't think a lot of people realize, that a lot of athletes realize, that they can have that impact on the younger generation. It doesn’t matter what scale. That’s an incredible feeling.”
Three days later after his Olympic win, Katzberg was back training in Slovakia. He returned to Paris for the closing ceremonies after being named a flag-bearer alongside record-breaking swimmer and CP female athlete of the year Summer McIntosh.
The duo were easy to spot, in part because of the thrower's six-foot-seven frame, his distinctive moustache and his shoulder-length hair.
“To walk into the stadium holding the flag with, obviously, another very accomplished athlete and kind of have a moment where I'm like, ‘OK, that was my Olympic experience,’ I kind of could take it all in," Katzberg said. "And that was really special to me, to kind of just understand what just happened.”
There was a slight mishap on the way into the packed Stade de France, he admitted.
“Walking into the stadium, we were waving the flag and there was a volunteer we were following, and I think I accidentally hit him with the flag once or twice," he said. "We were just new to how to wave the flag properly. So that was the dry run, I guess.”
After achieving his Olympic dream, Katzberg took a month off in September. He didn't compete. He didn't train. He simply spent time with loved ones and tried to recharge physically and emotionally.
“It’s interesting because you work toward something and it's kind of a bit of a pressure cooker of energy," Katzberg said. "You build so long towards this one moment, and then you have that moment, and then it's like, ‘OK, this is all I've been thinking about for so long. Now, what do I do afterwards?’
"So still kind of figuring that out, to be honest with you. I’m just kind of taking it day by day. I’ve got such an incredible passion for hammer throw, it's just always there. And I'm pushing as hard as I can right now to kind of get that feeling back that I had prior to Paris.”
Over the past several months, Katzberg has shared that passion with thousands of students, athletes and supporters. At various celebrations and meets, he's given people a chance to hold and take pictures with the gold medal that was draped around his neck in Paris.
The hardware will one day be added to a special display case, but for now, Katzberg is savouring the joy it brings others.
“It’s kind of a way to make it tangible. The amount of people who are able to actually hold on to one or wear it or whatever is quite small. So sharing that with them, I really enjoy that," he said. "Doing a talk, and passing it around the room, and everyone gets to take a photo with it and share that moment with you, that's pretty special.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press