Gold Coast hammer thrower Connor Hopgood stuns the world with incredible 73.67m throw

In the midst of Gout Gout mania an unknown second Queensland track and field sensation has emerged as a 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games gold medal hopeful. Meet the world teenage athletics phenomenon here.

Gold Coast hammer thrower Connor Hopgood. Picture: Jo Harlow Photography

In the midst of Gout Gout mania an unknown second Queensland track and field sensation has emerged as a 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games gold medal hopeful.

Gold Coast hammer thrower Connor Hopgood has sent a warning to rivals by briefly becoming the under-18 world No.1.

The 17-year-old’s 73.67m throw with a 5kg hammer last week at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre was vastly better than the 66.06m thrown by Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallist Ethan Katzberg at the same age.

The Coomera Anglican College student’s feat was history-making but there was little time for the 17-year-old to celebrate his amazing achievement.

Canada's Ethan Katzberg took home the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Connor Hopgood has already matched one of the Canadian’s personal bests as a junior. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

“It was just a normal midweek comp but it was a beautiful throw,” he said.

“I didn’t originally know that it was world ranking number 1, I really just wanted to throw over 70m because that’s what my goal was for the competition.

“When I searched it up later I was over the moon celebrating.

“It is very surreal and the congratulations from all my friends and stuff has been crazy.

“The next day I had an assignment due, I didn’t get to celebrate too much, I had to go back home and do some study, but I handled it pretty well I’d say.”

Gold Coast hammer thrower Connor Hopgood.

Unfortunately for the young Queenslander, his No.1 ranking lasted only a matter of days as Greece’s Sotirios Gentekos (75.85m) and China’s Jiawei Chen (82.19m) both overtook his monster throw late last week.

Hopgood has made waves in recent years at a national level, becoming the under-16s, and under-17s top ranked Australian competitor but his recent achievement opened up the door for the very real possibility of competing for gold at the 2032 Olympics.

“I would love to be participating in the Olympics when it comes round,” he said.

“It would be phenomenal, Australian crowd, it would be spectacular.

“Being able to see my friends in the crowd it would make me feel at home.”

Hopgood is a part of the newest generation of Australian track and field talents - spearheaded by generational sprint sensation Gout Gout - who are taking the world by storm and hoping to light up the new Victoria Park stadium in 2032.

“Gout Gout is doing such a great job at increasing the views of track and field at the moment in Australia,” Hopgood said.

“And it's something that I think should also be increased, if people are watching me and supporting me that would be great and just make the sport bigger.”

Originally published as Gold Coast hammer thrower Connor Hopgood stuns the world with incredible 73.67m throw