The Current - What makes a two-time hammer throw world champion?

Episode Date: September 17, 2025

Canadian athletes Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg are winning gold medal after gold medal in the hammer throw. The young B.C. natives join us from Tokyo, just after their gold medal wins at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

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Hello, I'm Matt Galloway, and this is the current podcast. And now, hammer time. And a little more straight, and it's up over 80 meters. It's a lifetime best for Rogers. This is over 80 meters. It's a monster throw. It's going to be a new Canadian record. That was the throw that earned Canada's Cameron Rogers,

the gold medal in the women's hammer throw at the World Athletic Championships in Tokyo on Monday. It was a huge achievement. She smashed the Canadian record. And then, yesterday... Oh, it's a massive championship record. 8470. He takes a bow and deservedly so.

Tonight, Ethan Katzberg has been in a class all of his own. Class all of his own. Indeed, Kenneth, Ethan Katzberg won his own gold in the men's hammer throw. also smashed records. Ethan Katzberg and Cameron Rogers, join us now from Tokyo. Hello to you both. Hello.

Hello. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Ethan, you have the hardware around your neck or very close to you, I'm sure, because your medal ceremony was just a couple of hours ago. How are you feeling? Yeah, it was just a couple hours ago.

It's safe in my hotel room. I'm just out for dinner right now. I'm trying to, you know, just take it, take a little time to process everything that's happened. It's been a busy day, but it's been an amazing experience. What does a hammer thrower eat for dinner? Yeah. A lot? Yeah. It's actually funny enough because we're in, you know, Tokyo with all this amazing food and I'm out at an outback steakhouse right now, if you can believe that. Whatever fuel works for you. Cameron, how does it feel to be the best in the world again?

I feel like the whole, like, the last 48 hours have just felt like an absolute whirlwind in the best way possible. Like, it was totally surreal. When I saw the number pop up on the screen, I kind of almost didn't let myself believe that it was real for a quick second. And then it was just this overwhelming feeling of just joy and just happiness and pride and everything in between. and I could hear my family screaming in the stands.

I could see my coach. And it was just like the one of the best moments on my whole entire life. Also, Ethan, we haven't. No, go ahead. No, I'm just going to say, Ethan, we haven't had the chance to talk yet. But congratulations. You're a freaking legend. I was, I was screaming at my computer screen, trying to make that hammer go further for you.

I hope it helped a little bit. And it did. It did. I heard you. I thought those screams. I love that. There's a photo of a, of, you on your Instagram, Cameron, like, did you know when you let the hammer go that it was that good?

People describe this as a mega throw. Like, did you know that it was, that it was that good? You know, I think sometimes when you take a throw, you kind of wonder, you're like, oh, it could be, it couldn't be. And it really, like, depends on how far you think it lands. But I feel like I released that throw. And it genuinely just felt like one of the best throws I've ever taken in my life. And I think that's because it felt so effortless. It just felt like everything connected so well. And the hammer just flew, like, almost like it did it on its own. And it kind of put me into a state of shock for a second.

But when I saw where it landed, I was like, oh, like, I think that might be a personal best. And so I started, like, screaming and yelling. And then I saw the 80. Which is a huge number. Which is a huge number. I think especially, like, being. being the fourth woman ever to break 80 meters and doing it in the same competition as the first two women to do it. Like they came up to me immediately after.

They gave me a huge hug. And Deanna Price, who was the second woman ever to break 80 meters, she wrapped me in a big hug. And she said, okay, I'm so proud of you, but you got a lockback in you have four more throws, which I think I needed to hear. And then the world record holder, Anita Ladarczyk came up to me and said, welcome to the 80 meter club, which was insane. Like, it's just amazing. That's a good club to be part of. Ethan, so you were watching on your computer screen. Oh, you best believe I was watching.

I was screaming. I was a fan. Pumps you up for your own competition. Oh, yeah. I mean, you know, we've done this in Budapest. We did it in Paris. And, you know, Cameron put the pressure on me to repeat the, you know, the both of us winning in these major championships.

So she put the pressure on me to make sure I won this one yesterday. And thankfully, I kept the tradition going. So did you know that your throw, Ethan, was enormous? I mean, and I don't know, is it a scream? Do you say something when you're letting it go? But something is coming out of your mouth when you're flinging that thing off that long distance. I'm definitely yelling and I'm encouraging it on.

and the 8470 I mean I knew it was further than my first mark just off the speed and the feeling of the release but I didn't know how much further and I just I think that getting a result like that was pretty much just pure adrenaline and knowing that I needed to

throw more because I was in second at the time so I knew I knew I needed more in that second round and I just, you know, went after it as best as I could. But it's so precise, right? You described this as a dance. Can you just walk us through that dance, Ethan? Honestly, I feel like that that 8470 wasn't exactly the dance that I'm looking for.

It did just fine, though. It was okay. I mean, I was, if you look at where the hammer landed, I think I was about three, you know, three centimeters of a way. from it being out of sector. So there was some things that I would love to change both that throw. But, you know, it had the speed. It had the power.

And just, you know, trying to get all the adrenaline I can into one throw in that moment is what I was going for. Cameron, you've said that this sport has changed your life. How has hammer throwing changed your life? I genuinely, like I started throwing when I was 12. And I think, you know, someone once told me something super interesting that I had never thought of before, which was I began throwing hammer at an age where most girls are dropping out of sport. And I think when I reflect on that and how, like, I can't even imagine what my life would be like without it. Like, it's shaped, it shaped everything. It shaped kind of the relationships I fostered, the places that I've been to where I went to school.

and it's helped me meet some of, you know, the bestest friends and the closest family members that I'll have for the rest of my life. Like, I don't think I'd be able to travel the world and receive the, like, world-class education that I've, like, gotten at Berkeley and just, I think, felt so supported and so loved kind of in the same, in the same sort of, like, way at that same level, almost as if I wasn't. doing this sport. I think it's really allowed me to connect with the community that is so incredible and so welcoming and so kind. And I think that's one of the coolest things about hammer throw and about throwing in general, especially I think for the women right now, we have so many of the top 10, top 15, top 20 of all time competing together right now, which is you don't always get with every sport. And the really incredible thing is, like, they're amazing athletes, but these women are even better people outside of the circle.

Like people who I like to like hang out with, chat with, who I consider to be really good friends. And knowing that I wouldn't have met them without this sport is, you know, it's pretty amazing to just reflect on my whole journey and experience and know that I feel like I am where I need to be and where I, you know, was meant to be. That's fantastic. Ethan, how would you describe that community? Oh, I mean, the throwing community,

is incredible. I think it's just because it's such a, it's a quite a small community, so everybody's so close and so connected. And, you know, there's no, there's no, you know, enemies or there's all just love and passion for throwing. Everybody's encouraging, everybody to throw further and do better. And, you know, there's, like Cameron said,

I feel like there's so many people that I consider really good friends and I'll, you know, just have conversations with, shoot texts to here and there. and make sure they're doing well. And it's a really special place to be in having that in major competitions and kind of just having friends around you while you're all throwing far is a really, really cool experience. You're both now points of inspiration.

I mean, after you won at the Olympics, Ethan, people who followed the sport closely may have known you. Your fame, celebrity, you have a look about you. People knew who you were. What was that like? It's definitely something that I didn't expect. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, what I, what I, what I, uh, I'm, you know, I'm, you know, I'm doing what I love and people are recognizing that. And they recognize you, I would think too, right?

If people see you, they know who you are. Yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's super interesting. And, you know, I'm, I'm always happy to, uh, whatever it is, take a photo, sign an autograph and just say hi to somebody, meet somebody and be able to share that with a community. And, you know, if I can, you know, inspire or just encourage people to, to, you know, chase dreams or do whatever they're passionate about, it's a very special feeling. And it's a, it's a challenging privilege to be, to be, you know, to have. But, but, you know, to be able to share this with, with a community is exceptional. Cameron, you've said that you have parents now who are DMing you saying that they saw you now their kid is in athletics and you've said this makes

your heart burst it does it's i think as even said it's something i didn't expect but it's i think one of the most awe-inspiring and sort of i guess like it's just incredible moments of being an athlete for me is like being able to do what i love is definitely the most important thing for me of being like here doing the sport but being able to connect with people and I I have had so many people reach out to me and say you know hey like congratulations we've seen you like on TV we saw you in the paper and you know it really like inspired my daughter and she actually wants to go like try hammer throwing now I got her into our local track club she's like getting into sport and it totally just brings tears to my eyes because I

it's something that I never thought would happen. Like, I'm just going out here and I'm throwing hammers and I'm like, this is it. Like, I just have the coolest job in the world. But I think the fact that people see it and want to try it and want to do it, like, it shows that it's, like, we've, I think people, it takes time to build such a strong foundation to build upon with a sporting community. We've managed to do that in BC. We've managed to do that in Canada. and now we're looking at this next generation of athletes come up and find a love for something that we get to share with them and knowing how much this sport has done for me and changed my life

and influenced my circle, my support system, the people in my life. It just brings me the utmost joy to know that other people, especially other young girls, are going to be able to have that similar experience. That's awesome. Ethan, just last word to you. What is going on in this country that we are producing? superstar hammer throwers. I mean, hockey, lacrosse, people play a lot of soccer. Is like hammer throwing going to be a new national

pastime? It's, it's, I think it's slowly turning. I mean, it's not slowly. The past three years have been pretty incredible for hammer throw. It's kind of, you know, turning into that, I feel. And I don't know what the secret is. I don't know if there's, you know, anything special going on, but, but, you know, I think Cam and I just doing our thing and, you know, continuing to, you know, better ourselves in the event and, you know, being able to kind of turn that back onto the community, like Cam and I have done coaching clinics and just getting people out into the hammer circle into track and field. Being able to kind of do that in the community, I think, is what we need to, you know, inspire that next generation. And, you know, hopefully they can

find the secret to hammer throw or athletics or whatever it is, and keep that going. That's amazing. I'll let you get back to your dinner. Cameron, I hope you get a chance to it to celebrate as well. Oh, thank you. I am out to dinner with my family right now as well. So Ethan and I are on the same wavelength here. So amazing time in Tokyo. And thank you so much again for letting us come on here and share just a bit of our story and get to talk about the thing we love the most, but just hammer throwing. You guys are amazing. Congratulations again. good to talk to you. Thank you so much. You too. Cameron Rogers and Ethan Katzberg, both two-time world champion hammer

throwers and Canadian Olympic gold medalist. Cameron is from Richmond, British Columbia, Ethan, from Nanaimo, BC. This has been the current podcast. You can hear our show Monday to Friday on CBC Radio 1 at 8.30am at all time zones. You can also listen online at cbc.ca.ca slash the current or on the CBC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Matt Galloway. Thanks for listening. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.ca slash podcasts.