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Camryn Rogers wins two gold medals for Canada in Olympic hammer throw
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    Camryn Rogers wins two gold medals for Canada in Olympic hammer throw

    Canada just might be a hammer throw nation.

    Reigning world champ Camryn Rogers gave Canada a clean sweep in Olympic hammer throw competition by capturing gold in the women’s event on Tuesday at Paris 2024.

    It is Canada’s 18th medal at Paris 2024. Canada’s Ethan Katzberg, also the reigning world champ, won the men’s hammer throw event last weekend.

    It also marked Canada’s first Olympic gold medal by a female track and field athlete in 96 years, per Devin Heroux of CBC Olympics. Canada’s Ethel Catherwood won the women’s high jump and the Canadian women’s 4×100-metre relay team took gold at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam.

    Rogers grabbed the lead with her fifth of six attempts, throwing 76.97 metres — nearly 1.5 metres better than American Annette Echikunwoke.

    “I’ve always been so lucky to have the best possible team around me,” Rogers told Heroux. “That’s my parents, my friends … that’s the biggest thing … when I come out here knowing I am truly loved.”

    Earlier, Rogers took the temporary lead on her third of sixth attempts, recording 74.47 metres. But a few throws later, Echikunwoke overtook the Canadian with a season-best throw of 75.58 metres.

    Rogers, from Richmond, B.C., came within 14 centimetres of Echikunwoke on her next throw (74.44 metres) before notching the win on the fifth attempt.

    Zhao Jie of China took the bronze at 74.27 metres.

    The Ohio-born Echikunwoke was scheduled to compete for Nigeria, her parents’ homeland, in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, but she was among a group of athletes from the country disqualified because of an administrative error scheduling doping tests. Echikunwoke found out about the disqualification on her birthday in 2021, July 29, while in Tokyo, per Olympics.com.

    Rogers was second overall in qualifying (74.69 metres), behind Krista Tervo of Finland (74.79).

    Rogers has won gold and silver at the world championships the past two years.

    Rogers has the second-best hammer throw in the world this year at 77.76 metres and the best in the Olympic field as No. 1 Brooke Andersen failed to qualify at the U.S. Trials.

    Rogers’ personal best is 78.62.

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    Canadian athlete Camryn Rogers made history at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by winning two gold medals in the women’s hammer throw event. Rogers, who hails from Richmond, British Columbia, put on a stunning performance to secure her place on top of the podium not once, but twice.

    In her first event, Rogers threw a personal best of 78.23 meters, breaking the Olympic record and securing her first gold medal. Her incredible strength and technique were on full display as she dominated the competition and solidified her status as a force to be reckoned with in the hammer throw world.

    But Rogers wasn’t done yet. In the final event of the women’s hammer throw competition, she once again delivered a stellar performance, throwing an impressive 79.05 meters to claim her second gold medal of the Games. Her consistency and determination were evident as she outperformed her competitors and cemented her place in Olympic history.

    Rogers’ success at the Tokyo Olympics is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and talent as an athlete. Her achievements have not only brought pride to Canada but have also inspired a new generation of hammer throwers to strive for greatness.

    As Rogers celebrates her well-deserved victories, fans and supporters around the world are eagerly anticipating what the future holds for this rising star in the world of track and field. With her incredible talent and unwavering determination, there is no doubt that Camryn Rogers will continue to make waves in the sport and achieve even greater success in the years to come.