World-champion Ethan Katzberg of Nanaimo doubled down by adding hemispheric glory to his burgeoning list of accomplishments when he won gold in the hammer throw Saturday at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
The John Barsby Secondary graduate threw for 80.96 metres to best American silver- and bronze-medallists Daniel Haugh (77.62) and Rudy Winkler (76.65) in the 11-thrower field.
“It’s extremely exciting. It’s really special and I’m happy with my performance,” said the Islander, in his post-competition media scrum.
“To have this medal to bring home is amazing. Going over 80 metres on my first throw was definitely a confidence booster. From now until then, it’s all about Paris [2024 Olympics].”
It highlighted a four-medal day for Island athletes.
Third-baseman Emma Entzminger of Victoria followed up her Tokyo Olympics bronze medal in softball with bronze also at the Pan Am Games with a 7-0 victory over Mexico on Saturday.
“We got to feel what it’s like to play for a medal with the pressure on,” said Canadian head coach Kaleigh Rafter.
“All these moments are really big as we build toward 2028.” That is when softball returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Langford-based Canadian rugby sevens teams won silver in women’s and bronze in men’s. The Canadian women overwhelmed Colombia 45-14 in the semifinals before losing 19-12 to the U.S. in the gold-medal final.
The holdovers from the successful Paris Olympics Canadian qualifying team from August at Starlight Stadium were Breanne Nicholas, Julia Greenshields, Alysha Corrigan, Chloe Daniels and Asia Hogan-Rochester. Head coach Jack Hanratty gave seven additions a run in Santiago as he casts a wide net to formulate his Olympic roster for Paris next year. Among the additions in Santiago were Caroline Crossley of Victoria, a veteran returning from a lengthy absence, and Carissa Norsten from the University of Victoria Vikes, who was the U Sports rookie of the year last season, and is now a Pan Am Games silver medallist.
“This is my first time back in a long time and I’m super excited by it,” Crossley told the sa国际传媒, about returning for the first time since she played on sa国际传媒’s gold-medallist team in the 2019 Lima Pan Am Games.
Also returning in Santiago was Charity Williams, the last holdover from the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze-medallist Canadian team.
Argentina showed why it is the hemispheric power in men’s rugby, as sa国际传媒 could not contain the fast yet physical eventual gold-medallist Argentines in a 21-7 semifinal loss Saturday. sa国际传媒 rebounded to edge the U.S. 19-17 for the bronze medal. Reaching the podium were Victoria players Lachlan Kratz, Jack Carson, Matt Percillier and Jake Thiel.
Canadian head coach Sean White of Victoria returned to the podium. The Oak Bay High and James Bay Athletic Association product won gold in the 2011 Guadalajara and 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games as a player and also competed in two Commonwealth Games.
Although not in rugby, 21 of the 39 sports and 61 disciplines in Santiago were direct qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 2-0 sa国际传媒 loss to Chile in the women’s field-hockey bronze-medal game Saturday was as costly as it was heartbreaking for players Kathleen Leahy and Anna Mollenhauer of Victoria and Sara Goodman of Duncan because with the bronze went a berth into the last-chance Olympic qualifier next year for Paris. Argentina and the U.S. were playing for the gold medal and Paris Olympics berth that goes with it. The silver medallist goes to the last-chance qualifier.
The 44 Island or Island-based athletes on the 473-member Canadian team at the 2023 Santiago Pan Am Games have accounted for or been part of 15 medals. Island athletes won 17 medals in the 2019 Pan Am Games at Lima, Peru, 20 medals, including 13 gold, at Toronto in 2015, and 21 medals at Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
The 2023 Santiago Games conclude Sunday with the closing ceremony. The 2027 Pan Am Games are in Barranquilla, Colombia.
