Canada has – literally – set a stone in motion by achieving several historic performances at the World Athletics Championships this year.
Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers were crowned world champions in the hammer throw in August, then Sarah Mitton won silver in the shot put in Budapest, Hungary.
Katzberg of Nanaimo, British Columbia, was the first representative of the maple leaf to win the world title in the hammer throw, as was Rogers, of Richmond, British Columbia, in the women’s category. Mitton, from Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, was also the first Canadian in history to win the world title in the shot put.
“Collectively, our results at the World Athletics Championships demonstrate that Canada is no longer simply among the best,” said Rogers, who is 24 years old. We fight, we push and we find ourselves in the heart of the battles for a place on the podium.
“When we think about what we’ve accomplished this year, there are definitely lessons to be learned and things we can improve on. But I believe we have laid the foundations for what we will try to accomplish between now and the Paris Olympic Games,” she added.
These successes are in some ways a metaphor for the changing of the guard that is taking place in athletics in the country, with Canada now being a formidable opponent in throwing – while it was until now recognized for the quality of its sprinters. .
Mitton recalled that throwing successes are the result of slow progression, with the current crop of Canadian throwers benefiting from the experiences of those who preceded them.
“We really need to recognize the contributions of the many pitchers who came before us,” agreed Mitton, who is 27 years old. There we were, progressing in the shadows behind them, and now it’s our turn to find ourselves in the spotlight.
“I believe that more and more pitchers in the country believe that they can reach the professional ranks, to demonstrate to the world that Canadian pitchers are excellent. We have never really had any success historically (in these disciplines),” she recalled.
Heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Katzberg, Rogers and Mitton will all be favorites in their respective disciplines. Mitton doesn’t feel any extra pressure because of this, quite the contrary.
“When your goals meet your expectations, then there is no more pressure because that is already the reason why you work hard every day,” she explained.
“We’ve gained a lot of good results and experience… having won three of the six medals available, and I think we’ll just continue that momentum and grow our sport,” added Mitton.
The throwers weren’t the only ones to get on the podium in Budapest.
Pierce LePage and Damian Warner helped Canada monopolize the top two spots in the world in the men’s decathlon.
LePage, from Whitby, Ontario, won the world title after recording the sixth best performance in history (8,909 points), ahead of his compatriot Warner, who is the reigning Olympic champion.
For his part, Marco Arop, of Edmonton, became the first Canadian to win the world title in the 800m, after obtaining bronze in this event at the 2022 Worlds.
It was a little less glorious for the Canadian sprinters, however.
Andre De Grasse, holder of six Olympic medals, had a disappointing season as he tried to find his feet after being slowed by a significant injury in 2022.
He chose to sit out the 4x100m relay in order to focus on the 200m final later the same day in Budapest.
Without De Grasse, the Canadian relay could never dream of successfully defending its world title, even being unable to qualify for the final. De Grasse then finished sixth in the 200m, denying Canadian sprinters a medal in that competition.
The Ontarian concluded his 2023 season on a high note, however, after winning a Diamond League title in the 200m in September.
