Camryn Rogers captures historic hammer throw silver for Canada's 1st medal at 2022 world championships
Richmond, B.C., native becomes 1st-ever Canadian woman to win field event medal at worlds
Canada's Camryn Rogers has made history at the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first Canadian woman to win a medal in hammer throw.
With the wind swirling and sun beating down on Hayward Field Sunday afternoon in Eugene, Ore., Rogers launched her third throw of the final 75.52 metres, enough to capture silver for Canada.
It marks the first time a Canadian woman has won a field event medal at the world championships. It's also Canada's first medal at these worlds.
"Oh my gosh. I feel so completely overwhelmed right now with emotion. I am so happy," Rogers told CBC Sports.
"I am so motivated and so excited to be coming home with this medal. It shows every throw, every lift, this is what it leads to."
Fellow Canadian Olympian Jillian Weir finished fifth with a throw of 72.41m.
WATCH | Rogers wins historic silver medal at worlds:
Brooke Andersen of the U.S. won gold with a throw of 78.96m, while compatriot Janee' Kassanavoid claimed bronze (74.86m).
Rogers soaked in the historic moment, doing a lap around the stadium with a Canadian flag draped over her.
Camryn's mom, Shari Rogers, was cheering wildly in the stands beside her fiancé, waving a Canadian flag.
The two shared a hug while Rogers continued her lap around the stadium.
"I felt so overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. Camryn is my hero. She leads by example and I learn so much from her all the time. We've gone through a lot together," Shari said.
The historic moment fully sunk in for Camryn when she was embraced by her mom.
"When we were doing our lap afterwards I saw her in the crowd. She came down to the railing and gave me a huge hug and that's when it hit me," Camryn said. "When she wrapped her arms around me I started bawling on the spot."
WATCH | Rogers reflects on podium finish:
Rogers started strong with an opening throw of 72.61m, putting her in second spot to begin. She didn't register her second throw after it hit the net.
But her best was yet to come.
Her third throw was the silver-medal winning throw. Rogers stepped into the ring and launched it 75.52m.
"I could not be more motivated. My season isn't over yet. Commonwealth Games in two weeks, go there and execute," Rogers said.
Golden smile. <br><br>Silver medal. <br><br>Historic stuff. <br><br>🇨🇦Camryn Rogers basking in this moment at Hayward Field. <a href="https://t.co/g44j4bv82o">pic.twitter.com/g44j4bv82o</a>
—@Devin_HerouxIt's been another successful season for Rogers.
The 23-year-old from Richmond, B.C., is a three-time NCAA champion, winning her third title just a month earlier. She holds the national and NCAA records in the event.
Rogers also made history in her Olympic debut in Tokyo last summer, becoming the first Canadian woman ever to.advance into an Olympic hammer throw final.
She finished fifth overall with a throw of 74.35m. She was the youngest competitor in the final, just 22 years old at the time, by almost two years.
WATCH | Rogers took unlikely road to becoming hammer throw superstar:
And her fascination with the sport began just a decade ago while watching the London 2012 Olympics. Rogers was amazed by how strong the women in the hammer throw event were — she wanted to one day be like them.
Now she's made history in the event for Canada, and her mom couldn't be more proud.
"She gives me strength and she doesn't even realize it. When I see her out there doing that, it's such an amazing feeling. I'm so happy for her," Shari said.
"It's huge. And it shows that we have the power within ourselves to make anything happen."
Canada's Ahmed finishes 6th in men's 10,000m
As Rogers continued to make her way around the stadium, the men's 10,000-metre race got underway.
Canada's Moh Ahmed, who had been dealing with an injury over the last number of weeks, was ready to race.
The 31-year-old long-distance runner was looking to improve upon his sixth-place finish one year ago at the Tokyo Olympics in the event.
Ahmed kept up with the lead pack throughout the entire race and found himself with the top-six once again as the bell sounded for the final lap.
Despite a gutsy push to the finish, Ahmed once again finished sixth in the event, clocking a time of 27 minutes 30.27 seconds.
"I still haven't figured out the 10K. It's disappointing. I thought I prepared really well. I didn't like my position that last 400 metres. I would have liked to have been more up front," Ahmed told CBC Sports after the race.
"There was a lot of traffic out there and I think I left myself in a bad position."
Stanley Mburu, from Kenya, placed second with a time of 27:27.90. Jacob Kiplimo, also of Uganda, won bronze with a 27:27.97
Ahmed commended the frontrunners after the race.
"That's tough running right there. It comes down to position. It comes down to staying closer up front. And ability," he said.
Ahmed will now shift his attention to the 5,000m.
Last summer in Tokyo, Ahmed won silver in the 5,000m, Canada's first distance medal in Olympic track and field. This season, he set a national record in the indoor 5,000m.
"I feel confident about the five for sure but I also felt confident about this one too," he said.
WATCH | What makes Ahmed so fast in the 5,000 metres?:
Fraser-Pryce leads Jamaican sweep in women's 100m
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce sped her way back to the top of the sprint game Sunday night, winning her fifth world title in the women's 100m by leading a Jamaican sweep and knocking off Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.
The 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce led all the way and crossed the line in 10.67 seconds. She beat Shericka Jackson by 0.06 seconds while Thompson-Herah finished a surprising third in 10.81.
The Jamaican women remain the queens of the track, once again, sweeping the 100m podium 🇯🇲🥇🥈🥉 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldAthleticsChampionships?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldAthleticsChampionships</a> <a href="https://t.co/FhIM4hHsxS">pic.twitter.com/FhIM4hHsxS</a>
—@CBCOlympicsA night that started with thoughts that Thompson-Herah might knock off Florence Griffith-Joyner's 34-year-old world record of 10.49 closed instead with Fraser-Pryce setting a world championships record. Marion Jones set the old mark of 10.70 in 1999.
With her blonde and green-tinted hair waving in the breeze as she worked through her victory lap, Fraser-Pryce was all smiles — a different reaction than last year in Tokyo, when she finished second by a sizable 0.13.
"I went back home and I worked and I worked and I came out here, and I had the success," a beaming Fraser-Pryce said in her on-track interview.
She'll add it to titles she won in 2009, '13, `15 and '19. She also won the Olympics in 2008 and 2012.
WATCH | Fraser-Pryce reflects on winning 5th world championship:
A night after the U.S. swept the podium in the men's 100, Fraser-Pryce and Co., showed there's still plenty of speed down on the island.
Fraser-Pryce defended her title from 2019, a win that came not long after she had a baby. She called that "a victory for motherhood."
Her son Zyon is about the same age as Allyson Felix's daughter, Cammy, and though Fraser-Pryce was never as outspoken as Felix about the challenges facing moms, she told the story of sitting on her bed and crying the day she learned she was pregnant. People suggested her career was over.
Not by a long shot.
Since having Zyon she has won two world titles and lowered her personal best to 10.6 — putting her alongside Thompson-Herah and Flo Jo as the only women to have run so fast.
Canada's Newell 9th in women's pole vault final
Earlier on Sunday, two-time Olympian Anicka Newell of Saskatoon, Sask., finished ninth in the women's pole vault final. The 28-year-old was eliminated from medal contention after failing to clear 4.60 metres, with her top mark in the final being 4.45.
Newell qualified for the final by posting a season best mark of 4.50m on Saturday.
Katie Nageotte of the U.S. claimed gold with a world-leading mark of 4.85m. Compatriot Sandi Morris matched Nageotte's mark, but both were unable to clear 4.90 before Morris fell to silver on a tiebreaker.
Bronze went to Australia's Nina Kennedy with a season best 4.80.
Canadians fail to qualify for men's 1,500m final
Fellow Canadian Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot of Quebec City came up short in the men's 1,500-metre semifinal on Sunday, finishing seventh in the first heat with a time of three minutes 37.29 seconds. The top five from each heat advanced along with the next two fastest competitors.
Canada's Cameron Proceviat (3:38.83) and William Paulson (3:40.41) also failed to advance while finishing 9th and 11th in the second heat, respectively.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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With files from The Associated Press
