- The Canadian hammer thrower books victory in his second spell at the competition.
- Croatian Greguric finishes second from a 76.68 metre throw.
- Kenya’s Dominic Abunda closes at position eight after 61.50 metre throw.
Olympic men’s hammer throw champion Ethan Katzberg powered to victory at the sixth edition of the Absa Kip Keino Classic World Continental Tour Gold at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The Canadian swung a world lead of 82.73 metres to take top honor in what was his second ever appearance at the competition.
Croatian Matija Greguric claimed second place after recording a personal best (PB) of 76.68 metres as Daniel Raba of Hungary had to be content with third, after a season’s best (SB) of 75.93 metres.
Speaking after the victory, Katzberg expressed excitement at the achievement, adding that it bodes well for his bid to successfully defend his world title at this year’s championships in Tokyo, Japan.
“I did not expect to set a World Lead here but I love how my season is shaping. Last year threw my personal best and won gold at the Olympic,” the 23-year-old said.
Katzberg’s last ever Kip Keino Classic appearance yielded a second-place finish with an overall score of 76.38 meters.
He described Nairobi as his ‘good luck charm’ and a place where he has always posted good results.
“Kenya feels like a second home I started off my career here and that is why I love coming back plus I also keep posting good results here. I did not expect to set a World Lead here but I love how my season is shaping. Last year threw my personal best and won gold at the Olympics,” he said.
Also in the same competition was Kenya’s Dominic Abunda who finished eighth with a SB of 61.50 meters.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer was positive, despite failing to make the podium.
“I’m glad to have achieved my season best today, but that was not the goal. I really wanted to hit the qualifying mark for the World Championships. Competing with the likes of the Olympic champion (Ethan Katzberg) is good for me because I’ve gained a lot of skills,” he said.
