Hammer Throw, Women

Poland’s Anita Włodarczyk had won this event at the last three Olympic Games, the first woman to three-peat in any Olympic athletics event. Considered the GOAT among female hammer throwers, her status was uncertain after injuries and surgery in 2023. Given that uncertain condition, the favorites’ roles fell to Canada’s Camryn Rogers, the 2023 World Champion and 2022 Commonwealth Games Champion, and American DeAnna Price, the 2019 World Champion and silver medalist behind Rogers at the 2023 Worlds.

All three made the final. Price opened proceedings with a throw into the net cage, a harbinger of what was to come, as she only threw 70.18 in round two and 71.00 in round three, and would finish only 11th. Rogers had been second in qualifying to Finland’s Krista Tervo, but she opened the final with 74.11 to take the lead. In round two, China’s Zhao Jie threw 74.27 to move ahead. It would be her best throw of the final and would eventually bring her a bronze medal. Round three saw a surprise, as unheralded American Annette Echikunwoke tossed the hammer 75.48 metres to take the lead.

Rogers responded in round four with 75.44 to move ahead of Zhao, but Echikunwoke still led. In round five, however, Rogers took over with a throw of 76.97 metres. Nobody could answer that and Rogers would take the gold medal ahead of silver for Echikunwoke. In that round, Włodarczyk would also post her best mark, with 74.23, but it would bring her only fourth place. Rogers’ gold medal was the first for a Canadian woman in athletics since Ethel Catherwood won the high jump and the 4x100 women’s relay team took gold at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.