Reigning champion Ethan Katzberg from Nanaimo, British Columbia, faced an unexpected setback in the men’s hammer throw final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hungary. Katzberg, a gold medalist at the Olympics and world level, had a disappointing start on Friday with two consecutive no throws, which led to his elimination from the competition.
In the four-round event, only the top six athletes are granted another attempt after the initial two rounds. Despite his previous dominance with seven consecutive victories since last August, the 24-year-old Katzberg finished at the bottom of the eight-man field.
The victory went to Merlin Hummel of Germany, who achieved a best throw of 81.46 meters, surpassing the 2026 world leader and local favorite Bence Halász by 1.16 meters. Mykhaylo Kokhan of Ukraine secured the third spot with a throw of 78.90 meters.
Prior to this event, Katzberg had triumphed at the Silesia Diamond League in Chorzów, Poland, throwing 82.92 meters on August 23. Additionally, he had set a Commonwealth Games record with an opening throw of 80.97 meters a month earlier.
This unexpected turn of events marks a rare setback for Ethan Katzberg, signaling a challenging start to his participation in the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
