Budapest, August 13, 2025 – The Europe Today: Hungarian hammer thrower Bence Halász thrilled the home crowd on Tuesday evening by delivering a personal best and meet record to defeat reigning Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix.
In hot and humid conditions, Halász — the 2024 Olympic silver medallist — unleashed a winning throw of 83.18 metres on his third attempt, surpassing his previous personal best of 81.94 set earlier this month at the Hungarian Championships in Budapest. Once ahead, he maintained his lead against a strong field at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet, also known as the István Gyulai Memorial.
Katzberg, who captured Canada’s first Olympic hammer throw gold in Paris last year, held an early advantage with throws of 80.31 and 81.01 metres before producing his best mark of 81.88 on his fifth attempt. That distance secured him second place, with Ukraine’s Olympic bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan finishing third at 80.84 metres.
The result marked a rare defeat for the world’s top-ranked men’s hammer thrower. Katzberg, 22, had won his first five competitions of the season before American Rudy Winkler ended his streak on July 5 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon. Katzberg still holds the Canadian record of 84.38 metres, set in April 2024.
At the Paris Olympics, Katzberg became the youngest-ever men’s hammer throw gold medallist and the first Canadian to win a world title in the event, having achieved that feat in 2023.
Canadian hurdles champion skips 400m race
The meet was also expected to feature Canadian hurdler Savannah Sutherland as part of her preparations for her Diamond League debut in Silesia, Poland, later this week. However, the 22-year-old from Borden, Saskatchewan, did not compete in the women’s 400 metres.
Sutherland recently claimed her second Canadian title in three years and set a national record of 52.46 seconds at the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 14, a mark that also stands as an NCAA and Big Ten record and the ninth-fastest time in history for the event.
