Camryn Rogers back at site of historic hammer throw effort seeking Prefontaine Classic title

When Camryn Rogers arrived this week in Eugene, Ore., it’s hard to imagine the star hammer thrower from Richmond, B.C. didn’t take a few minutes to recall a bevy of memorable career moments at iconic Hayward Field.

Nearly two years ago, she waged a battle with American rival Brooke Andersen, who took an early lead with a throw of 74.81 metres at the World Athletics Championships.

On her third of six attempts, Rogers delivered her best throw of 75.52 on a sunny and windy Sunday afternoon to hold off Janee’ Kassanavoid for silver behind Andersen, becoming the first Canadian woman to medal at the competition.

“I feel so completely overwhelmed right now with emotion,” Rogers told CBC Sports after her performance on July 17, 2022. “I am so motivated and so excited to be coming home with this medal. It shows every throw, every lift [of weights], this is what it leads to.”

On Saturday at 2:35 p.m. ET, the aforementioned trio and others will try to earn the title of Prefontaine Classic champion in an event that isn’t a regular fixture on the pro track and field circuit, meaning they won’t earn Diamond League points for competing. Live streaming coverage begins at 4 p.m. at CBCSports.ca, CBC Sports App and CBC Gem.

WATCH | Rogers wins historic silver medal at 2022 world championships:

Earlier in the 2022 campaign, Rogers claimed two victories at Hayward — at the Pac-12 Conference Championships and NCAA Division 1 outdoor championships while competing for the University of California, Berkeley. Three weeks after worlds, she won Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham, England.

The 24-year-old debuted at Hayward Field on April 8, 2015, two months before her 16th birthday, and was victorious with a throw of 53.82 at the Oregon Relays. She won again two years later. The stadium is named after Bill Hayward, a world lacrosse champion with the Ottawa Capitals who grew up in Toronto and was the first track and field coach for the University of Oregon Ducks in 1904.

Saturday marks Rogers’s third competition of the season. She placed third a week ago at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, site of her Canadian record and 2023 season best of 78.62.

Rogers achieved the 74.00 entry standard for this summer’s Paris Olympics the day after the July 1, 2023 qualifying window opened. She was victorious with a throw 76.95 at the Edmonton Athletics Invitational and capped a nine-win season (12 events) with world gold in Budapest, Hungary, defeating Kassanavoid and fellow American DeAnna Price, who is part of Saturday’s field of eight.

WATCH | Rogers throws 77.22 metres to win 2023 world gold in Hungary:

B.C.’s Camryn Rogers captures hammer throw gold at worlds

Camryn Rogers of Richmond, B.C., win’s the women’s hammer throw at the World Athletics Championships with a distance of 77.22 metres. Rogers’ victory completed Canada’s first-ever hammer-throw double after fellow B.C. native Ethan Katzberg won the men’s event.

So, too, is Kingston, Ont., native Jillian Weir, who now lives in Lethbridge, Alta. She returns to Hayward Field for the first time since her fifth-place throw (72.41) at 2022 worlds.

Weir rebounds from tough 2023 season

After dipping to a 67.85 season best last year, Weir has topped that distance twice in five events this year — a 71.13 SB on April 20 at the LSU Alumni Gold meet in Baton Rouge, La., and most recently at the Chinook Throws Gala in Lethbridge, where she won (68.87).

Anicka Newell (women’s pole vault, 3:55 p.m.), Regan Yee (women’s 3,000m steeplechase, 5:09 p.m.) and Aaron Brown (men’s 200m, 5:27 p.m. ET), and are the other Canadians in action on Saturday.

There are several other events featuring international athletes to monitor.

Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States will be making her season debut in the women’s 100m at 5:42 p.m. She is currently the world No. 1 following her victory and 10.65-second personal best at worlds last summer.

Richardson is joined in the field by for two-time defending Olympic 100 champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, running her first race of 2024. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith, a 14-time Diamond League meet champion from Côte d’Ivoire, Africa, who has a 10.72 PB is also competing, along with world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia with a 10.81 best in the 100.

Coleman aims to defend 100m title

In the men’s 100 at 4:12 p.m., Christian Coleman looks to defend his title at Prefontaine, which doubled as the 2023 Diamond League Final. The world No. 2 ran 9.83 that day but has yet to dip under 10 seconds early this season, clocking 10.13 and 10.04 in the China series (Xiamen and Suzhou) in April.

Kenyan record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala, who boasts a 9.77 PB and is ranked third in the world, could give Coleman his toughest test.

WATCH | Coleman grabs 100m bragging rights at season opener:

Americans Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley come down to wire in Diamond League 100m

The US teammates were separated by just 0.04 seconds at the finish line in Xiamen, China.

The women’s 10,000m at 1:50 p.m. ET, a non-Diamond League points race, will feature Kenya’s top talent vying to make the Paris Olympic team this summer.

Beatrice Chebet, the world No. 2 in the 5,000 and a two time world cross-country champion, headlines the field, followed by Emmaculate Achol, who was fourth at this year’s cross-country worlds.

Some might call it a race for the ages. In the day’s final event at the 49th edition of the Prefontaine Classic, reigning Olympic 1,500 champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway and Great Britain’s Josh Kerr, who won 2023 world gold, take the line in the men’s Bowerman Mile (1,609m) at 5:52 p.m

Seven of the 16 athletes in the field boast lifetime bests faster than three minutes 50 seconds, including Australian Olli Hoare, who won the 1500 at the L.A. Grand Prix. The race also features 2022 world 1,500 champion Jake Wightman, Abel Kipsang (fourth at 2021 Oympics) and Lamecha Girma, the steeplechase world record-holder making his mile debut.

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.

Diamond League calendar

• Oslo, Norway — May 30
• Stockholm — June 2
• Paris — July 7
• Monaco — July 12
• London — July 20
• Lausanne, Switzerland — Aug. 22
• Silesia, Poland — Aug. 25
• Rome — Aug. 30
• Zurich — Sept. 5
• Brussels (DL Final) — Sept. 13-14