Ethan Katzberg carried the Canadian flag once again Thursday. This time it wasn’t at the Stade de France, but at his old Rotary Bowl track in Nanaimo, surrounded by hundreds of mid-Island elementary school students high-fiving and fist-bumping their hero and chanting “Ethan, Ethan.”
The City of Nanaimo officially celebrated Katzberg’s gold medal in the hammer throw in a high-spirited ceremony that included a proclamation by Mayor Leonard Krog declaring it Ethan Katzberg Day and naming the hammer-throw cage at Rotary Bowl in Katzberg’s honour. An adjacent sign to the Katzberg Cage read “84.12,” which was his winning distance in capturing the gold medal in the summer at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. He was also named Canadian closing ceremony co-flagbearer with gold-medallist swimmer Summer McIntosh.
“Who wants to pick up a hammer and give it a shot,” asked Katzberg, to shouts of “yes” from the school children.
“Perfect,” responded Katzberg, the John Barsby Secondary graduate, who proudly wore his medal around his neck.
“You guys have been incredible at welcoming me home. It’s amazing to be back home in Nanaimo and to share this moment and celebrate as a community.
“Some of my best memories were on this track eating dirt and doing whatever event I could.
“That ended up paving my way … through such a long process of training and dedication to making the Paris Olympics and now I can call myself an Olympic champion.”
The day brought a grateful Katzberg full circle: “To represent ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, but especially Nanaimo and Vancouver Island, means the world to me. There’s an amazing sense of community here and the support I have received is incredible.”
That included having several former mid-Island Olympians come out to congratulate Katzberg on his homecoming day, including hammer-thrower Scott Nielson, soccer player Ray Telford, field-hockey player Sue Reid-Schellinck, bronze-medallist swimmer Pam Rai and Paralympics multi-medallist Michelle Stilwell.
Numerous dignitaries were also on hand, including Krog, city council and School District 68 members.
“Our Nanaimo hero was a boost to the heart and was such good medicine,” said Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson, who gave a shoutout to Katzberg’s former teachers and coaches.
That included Katzberg’s dad and first hammer coach, Bernie Katzberg, in the Nanaimo Track and Field Club.
“He put up with a lot of stuff,” quipped his son, in thanking his dad.
