The Current16:37These Canadians struck gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Ethan Katzberg couldn’t have wished for a better Olympic debut.
The 22-year old hammer thrower from Nanaimo, B.C., hit 84.12 metres, almost four metres further than the Hungarian silver medalist, and within just a few metres of the world record. He did that on his first of three attempts.
“It’s definitely a statement,” Katzberg told The Current guest host Susan Bonner of that first throw.
And Katzberg wasn’t the only one who found success at the Olympic Games.
Team Canada had several golden moments at the 2024 Summer Olympics, winning nine gold medals, seven silvers and 11 bronze medals. It was Canada’s largest medal haul at a Summer Olympics, excluding the boycotted 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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Katzberg gained a lot of media attention at the Olympics, not only for his performance but also his physique. People from Australia and Germany jokingly claimed him as one of their citizens on social media and he’s been compared to the Norse god of Thunder, Thor.
“It’s a really exciting time to be a hammer thrower in Canada,” Katzberg says.
Two days after Katzberg struck gold, so did fellow B.C. resident Camryn Rogers. Those medals in women’s and men’s hammer throw were Canada’s first in the sport in 112 years.
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Katzberg says he’s fortunate the pair have found success around the same time and have been able to motivate each other and “really put hammer throw on the map within Canada.”
Katzberg topped off his Olympic experience with the “amazing honour” of being one of Canada’s flag bearers for the closing ceremony, alongside Summer McIntosh, who won 3 three golds and one silver medal in Paris.
“That was probably the best way I could wrap up such an amazing Olympics,” Katzberg said. “And not just from my own [perspective], but as a country. We did such an amazing job at these games.”
Katie Vincent said she went into the finals for the women’s single 200-metre canoe sprint with a mission. She told herself she wanted a gold or silver medal after winning bronze in another canoe event earlier in the Paris Olympics.
A photo finish
The 200-metre final was so close it needed a photo finish to confirm the result.
“I just crossed the line … and I looked over and I was right in line with the Americans. And I had no idea at the moment. I think I was excited that I was going to be first or second no matter what, which was pretty cool,” Vincent said.
Vincent had to wait to find out what colour medal she’d won.
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Katie Vincent of Mississauga, Ont., spoke with CBC Sports after winning Canada’s eighth gold medal and 25th medal overall at Paris 2024, both national records for a non-boycotted Summer Olympic Games.
“I saw Canada come up first, maybe like 30 seconds or a minute later. That was probably the longest minute of my life.”
She beat her American competitor, Nevin Harrison, by the finest of margins — .01 seconds.
Vincent’s gold was a first for Canadian women in the canoe-kayak sprint. Now she hopes her success inspires others.
“The Olympics is our one week on TV every four years, so we want to make sure that we’re showcasing our country well and our sport well and hopefully it encourages more people to go to canoe clubs near them — they’re all over the country.”
Brendon Rodney’s gold medal in the men’s 4×100-metre relay was nine years in the making.
Rodney, Aaron Brown and Andre De Grasse have raced together since 2015, and have been friends for nearly 16 years. The trio won bronze at the Rio Olympics in 2016 alongside Akeem Haynes, then claimed silver in Tokyo 2020 with Jerome Blake.
“We’re always together so it’s just a natural bond and it’s not like we have to force it just to get the job done. We chill, we hang out together all the time,” Rodney said.
Confidence in each other
Each member of the team failed to advance to a finals in their individual events. But Rodney says their confidence in each other was their biggest advantage.
“We trust each other that we’re going to get the job done,” Rodney said. “We wholeheartedly put that trust in, if we go out there and win, we’re going to win together. If we lose, we lose together. There’s no real blame game or anything.”
Rodney compared himself to the fictional character Thomas the Tank Engine, repeating “I think we can,” to himself as he watched De Grasse sprint toward the finish line.
Rodney says it’s a great feeling and accomplishment to have a full set of Olympic medals from three different Olympic Games.
“I’m enjoying the moment. It’s something that you can get once in a lifetime for most people. I’m blessed to have three medals but, you know, nothing is like the gold.”