Canada's Camryn Rogers competes in the women's hammer throw qualification during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on July 15, 2022.ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images
It took Camryn Rogers just one throw to clinch a spot in her first world hammer throw final.
The 23-year-old from Richmond, B.C., unleashed a throw of 73.67 metres on the opening day of the world track and field championships, surpassing the automatic qualifying mark of 73.50. She then called it a day.
“We went in there with the plan to execute and get it done on the first throw,” Rogers said. “It’s a plan and a point that we’ve worked to make consistent over the entire season. And so to come here and get the job done when it counts, it’s everything. And so now we can move forward and get really excited and get hyped for the final (Sunday).”
It was the fourth best throw on the day, but well shy of her Canadian record of 77.67 she hit last month. That mark ranked her No. 4 in the world.
Jillian Weir of Kingston, Ont., also qualified for the hammer final with a throw of 72.00.
Rogers was fifth in her Olympic debut last summer in Tokyo, and was the youngest athlete in the final. She’s aiming to smash her Canadian record in the final, which could clinch her Canada’s first medal in the event.
“We always have a plan coming into Tokyo, my first Olympics, it was so exciting,” she said. “And now we know that there is more to go. There’s more space to improve. And you can always work on things and work to push yourself even more to get to those next levels.
“And so the plan is to keep building and get a new (personal best). And if that means also walking away with a medal, then that’s our goal.”
A couple of weeks after shattering her Canadian record in the shot put, Sarah Mitton’s throw of 19.38 metres, on her second toss, earned her a spot in Saturday’s final.
The 26-year-old from Brooklyn, N.S., is ranked No. 3 in the world after she unleashed a throw of 20.33 metres, a huge Canadian record, and at the time was the world’s farthest throw this season.
Django Lovett, a 30-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was flawless in men’s high jump qualifying to begin his quest for a medal at the world track and field championships. Lovett cleared a season’s best 2.28 metres on his first attempt to clinch his spot in Monday’s final.
He was one of just six jumpers who made that height on their first attempt.
“My goal was to be clear all the way through and not muck about, and we got that job done,” said Lovett, whose mom drove eight hours to Eugene to watch.
“It was great to see her in the crowd,” he said. “The fans were phenomenal. It was a very vibrant and happy, encouraging environment.”
Lovett finished eighth in his Olympic debut in Tokyo last summer. The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist won the Birmingham Diamond League meet in May.
Canada has 59 athletes competing at the championships, the world’s third largest sporting event behind the Olympics and the World Cup, at Hayward Field.
Sprint star Andre De Grasse, who hasn’t raced since contracting COVID-19 about a month ago, was set to race the 100-metre heats in Friday’s evening session, while Sarah Mitton, No. 3 ranked in women’s shot put, had qualifying as well.