‘We still love her’: Sarah Mitton’s hometown fans react after Olympic result

Hundreds of Sarah Mitton fans cheered on the Olympian on Friday afternoon at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad)

It was a disappointing result for Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton on Friday in the shot put at the Olympics in Paris, but for the hundreds gathered at the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, she’s still a hometown hero.

It was a boisterous crowd that cheered Mitton on at the live viewing party as she tried for Olympic gold in the shot put. People were decked out in red and white and waved Canadian flags. Every time Mitton showed up on the big screen, people erupted into cheers and applause.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Mitton’s day.

After three throws, Mitton did not make the cut for the final eight competitors. Her best throw was 17.48 metres in rainy and wet conditions.

Her third throw appeared to be close to the 20-metre mark, but she fouled out after losing her balance and stepping out of the throwing circle.

Mitton was a favourite going into the Olympics, after dominating most events this year. She won the World Athletics Indoor Championship in March and broke her own Canadian record three times. She also qualified easily for the Olympic final, with her first throw of 19.77 m.

Before the event, anticipation was building for the 250 people gathered at the Astor to watch Mitton compete live. 

People travelled from around the South Shore and beyond to cheer her on.

Karen Hofrichter of Hubbards was there with her granddaughter Lily Lantz of Chester. Hofrichter and Lantz arrived an hour before the viewing party and snagged seats front row centre.

Lantz is a 14-year-old shot put athlete herself at Chester Area Middle School. She said she was at the Astor to cheer on her idol. 

Hofrichter said the result wasn’t what they expected, but she’s confident Mitton will be back.

“Unfortunate. It was a tough day, tough with the weather, I think. Not everyone was doing their best. But you know what? We still love her. She gave it her all. And she can regroup and come back. We know she’s got it in her.”

Lantz said that the conditions didn’t help. Early on in the final round, another athlete slipped on the rainy surface and fell after her throw.

“I personally feel like (Mitton) might have gotten in her head after that one girl had slipped,” Lantz said.

“She tried her best and unfortunately lost her balance on that one throw, her good one out in the 20s. Which is OK, she tried her best and she’s gonna come back and she’s gonna hit harder.”

Ruth Anne Zwicker of Liverpool said despite the result, she’s still proud of what Mitton has accomplished.

“I’m so proud of Sarah. She’s worked so hard. My heart’s sad for her today because I know this isn’t where she wanted to be. But I’m excited that her mom (Bonnie) is there with her today. And proud to be a Canadian.”

Dave McKiel of Alberta was visiting his parents and watched Mitton compete.

“I know that the community is very proud of her and her efforts up to this point. It’s kind of disappointing that she didn’t advance today but she’ll receive a hero’s welcome the next time she’s back because everybody is super proud of her efforts.”

“The turnout and the crowd, you can tell the community loves her and supports her.”

German athlete Yemisi Ogunleye won gold in the event, with New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche taking silver  and China’s Jiayuan Song capturing bronze.

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Liverpool artist creates beach tribute to Brooklyn’s Olympic shot put star Sarah Mitton

A large sand beach is pictured, with the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings drawn on the sand, with Paris 2024 on one side of the tower and Go Sarah! on the other

Liverpool artist Jane Stevenson created this tribute to Sarah Mitton on Wednesday in the sand at Summerville Beach. (Jane Stevenson photo)

For most people, a day at the beach might involve some swimming or lounging on the sand.

For Jane Stevenson, a day at the beach involves creating a 120-by-60-foot piece of sand art as a tribute to Olympic shot putter Sarah Mitton.

The Liverpool artist’s creation on Summerville Beach featured an 85-foot Eiffel Tower with a Canadian flag in the middle and the Olympic rings at the base, with Paris 2024 on one side and “Go Sarah!” on the other.

“She’s a friend and she’s a marvellous person,” Stevenson says of Mitton, who is from Brooklyn.

“I’m enjoying drawing in the sand and I thought what a great thing to be able to do. So I started with the rings one day and I thought that’s not enough. So I stuck a little Eiffel Tower on it and looked at it at home and said that’s not good enough. So, four more tries and not succeeding. Finally, new strategies and a little more homework on the design, on the fifth try, it all came together.”

Stevenson created it in about two and a half hours late Wednesday afternoon. 

She shared a photo and drone video to her Facebook profile Wednesday evening. That post was shared widely. And CBC’s Olympics reporter Devin Heroux posted the photo on his Twitter feed Thursday morning after Mitton qualified for the shot put final.

“It’s gone far and wide, so that’s kind of cool. And lovely comments about it. So that’s really nice too. People really enjoyed the picture and the sentiment behind it. It was fun.

“That’s the most far-reaching anything I ever do will get. So that’s quite a compliment to have them want to do that with it. So I’m pleased with that, it’s more than I thought would happen with it.”

It was Stevenson’s fifth time trying to get her design down in the sand, after plotting it out precisely on paper.  

“The first one went down on the sand on the 27th of July, so between then and yesterday I finally got it right.”

She and her husband Garth used a very long tape measure and a homemade compass to plot out the basic lines of the piece. And then she used a rake to fill in the detail of the Eiffel Tower and the Olympic rings.

Stevenson says that she used the drone only once as she was putting it together.

“Just eyed it. Did it by eye. My lines and my paper that I was going off of were really precise and then we really measured precisely this last time. I had my homework really well done on the fifth try. And then you can just can tell visually that it looks alright. It was math, and drawn lines.”

Stevenson has created eye-popping pieces of public art before, most recently for a Privateer Days parade float for the Mersey Rose Theatre Company. That featured a huge tea party set for the company’s upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland Jr. She’s also created displays for the Astor Theatre, including a life-sized Barbie doll package.

She’s done six or seven other beach art pieces this summer, but this one was the biggest and most complicated. She started at 4 in the afternoon near low tide and finished it around 6:30, racking up about 50,000 steps along the way. 

“I thought I’d won the gold medal, the gold medal in the Olympic sand drawing. It was a very good feeling to get the result I wanted.

“This was fun to do. I really wanted it to work for Sarah. … Not bad for a day at the beach.”

She’s not sure if Mitton has seen it yet, but she knows her mother Bonnie has. Stevenson says she’ll be at home on Friday afternoon cheering on Mitton as she goes for gold.

Mitton qualified for the final on Thursday with her first throw, which was also the farthest in the field.

The Astor Theatre is holding a live viewing party of the shot put final from 2 to 4 p.m. It’s free to everybody. The final is scheduled to begin at 2:37 p.m. Atlantic time.

“On the edge of our seats. She’s looking pretty good. This morning it looked effortless for her. She qualified so easily. I have good feelings for her tomorrow. I think she’ll do well. She’s worked hard, she’s ready.”

Stevenson says she appreciates all the positive feedback she’s received on her beach sand tribute.

“Thank you to everybody who has commented on it. That means a lot as well that they have enjoyed it so. That’s made it even more worthwhile. And, go Sarah!”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Queens County’s Sarah Mitton qualifies for Olympic shot put final

Sarah Mitton of Brooklyn, Queens County, has qualified for the shot put final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This is a photo from the World Athletics Indoor Championship in March where she won gold. (Sarah Mitton photo)

Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton qualified for the shot put final at the 2024 Olympics in Paris this morning on her first throw.

The 28-year-old world indoor champion made it through to Friday’s final with a throw of 19.77 metres, which was the best of the qualifying round. The qualification standard is 19.15 m.

“That’s the way I like it,” Mitton told CBC Sports. “It’s a lot less stressful when you’re one and done.”

Mitton’s mother, Bonnie, was in the Stade de France to see her daughter go through to the final.

The top-rated American and two-time world champion Chase Jackson did not make it to the final. She missed her first two attempts and threw 17.6 m on her third.

New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche was the second-best qualifier at 19.25 m and Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye was third with a throw of 19.24 m.

The final is scheduled for Friday at 2:37 p.m.

The Astor Theatre in Liverpool is holding a watch party so that Mitton’s Queens County fans can watch the event live. That goes from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday.

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Queens County gears up to cheer on Sarah Mitton at Paris Olympics with Astor watch party

The Astor Theatre is holding a watch party next Friday, Aug. 9 for the shot put final of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton is seen during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo by Mark Blinch/COC)

Sarah Mitton’s hometown fans are getting ready to cheer on the Brooklyn native as she goes for shot put gold in Paris.

The Region of Queens compiled a “Cheers from Home” video featuring community members rooting for her. And, the Astor Theatre has organized a watch party for the shot put final on Fri., Aug. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. so that people can get together and root for the pride of Queens County.

The watch party is free for everyone.

Jerri Southcott, the Astor’s executive director, said the theatre held a similar viewing party for the Euro Cup.

“And we had a lot of people reach out to us in the commnity about ‘Could we all get together and cheer on our hometown hero?’ So we thought this would be a great opportunity to cheer on Sarah Mitton, really proud as a community to get behind her.”

READ MORE: QCCR’s coverage of Sarah Mitton

Mitton will be competing in the qualification round the day before. The shot put final is set to begin on Friday at 2:37 p.m.

Mitton is the reigning world indoor champion and Canadian record holder. She also holds the title as throwing the best distance so far this year at 20.68 metres.

She captured the gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in March, where she beat her own Canadian record, twice. She beat it again two months later at a meet in Pennsylvania.

Southcott says she’s excited to have the community cheer on Mitton at the Astor.

“We’ll have concessions open and we’ll get the community together. I think everybody is going to be on the edge of their seats. Some of us, me included, will be the first time watching shot put, so that’s interesting. Really, really proud of her.”

And to help get ready for the watch party at the Astor, you can pick up a signed copy of a Sarah Mitton print from Queens Place Emera Centre.

Queens Place is selling a limited number of the autographed prints for $10 each. Proceeds will go to the Region of Queens Recreation for All program, which helps those in lower incomes participate in the municipality’s fitness facilities and programs.

Southcott is expecting a good turnout next Friday.

“We had a number of people reach out and say, ‘Wow, what a great idea.’ And really hoping to see a good strong support in the community to come out and cheer her on. It’s nice to be together.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton tops Canadian field to qualify for Olympics in Paris

Sarah Mitton was tops in the shot put at the Canadian Athletics trials in Montreal last week. The four-time Canadian champion is headed to the Summer Olympics in Paris. (Mundo Sport Image via Athletics Canada Facebook)

Queens County Olympian Sarah Mitton is on her way to Paris.

The 28-year-old world champion shot putter from Brooklyn qualified recently for the Canadian track and field team that will be going to the Summer Olympics July 26 to Aug. 11. 

Her throw of 19.62 metres at the Canadian Olympic trials secured her fourth straight Canadian title.

She owns the world’s longest throw this year and a Canadian record at 20.68 m.

Mitton set that mark in March when she captured gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in Glasgow. She is also a Commonwealth Games champion, a Pan American Games champion and a silver medallist at the world championships.

In early June, she also captured top spot at the World Athletics Continental Tour in New York City, with a top throw of 20.15 m, beating her closest competitor by more than a metre.  

“This time, it just feels totally different,” Mitton said in a Canadian Olympic team news release. “We’re preparing more for a medal, and that’s just a totally different feeling going into the Games.

“I feel very confident. A lot has changed since I went to the Olympics last time during COVID. I’m excited to have a crowd. I’m excited to have my family there. I’m just excited about taking the whole thing in.”

Mitton made her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020. She told QCCR in March just after winning the world indoor gold medal that she’s matured as a competitor since her first Olympics, and that she’s ready for Paris.

“I think shot put is really this unique sport where as you get older you can still get better,” she said.

“So I think I’m kind of coming into my prime as a thrower. It’s a very technical, very strength-based event. So the stronger you get the better, which takes time. The technical aspect is just so fine-tuned that I’ve got so many throws under my belt and then so many throws in these major competitions now, that I think being able to take away from everything is just building that consistency and then building that confidence amongst the higher-level comps. Being able to handle myself more as a professional as opposed to a rookie thrower who perhaps gets nervous prior to the competition. And I’m able to keep my composure.”

The women’s Olympic shot put qualification round is on Aug. 8, with the final the next day.

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Queens County fans send cheers to Sarah Mitton before Olympics

Canadian shot put thrower Sarah Mitton throws during the group A qualification round during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July 2021. (Photo by Mark Blinch/COC)

With the Summer Olympics just over a month away, anticipation is building for fans of Queens County Olympian and world champion Sarah Mitton.

And to show support for Brooklyn’s best-known athlete, the Region of Queens is organizing a video tribute to send to Mitton to cheer her on as she goes for shotput gold in Paris.

The municipality is calling on people to record a video that’s 10 seconds or less. They’ll edit all the videos into one and send it to Mitton as she prepares for the Olympics.

The region’s mayor Darlene Norman is organizing her own video tribute on Saturday morning near her home in Port Medway.

“I’m hopeful that many people will show up from Port, neighbouring communities and perhaps some other places,” Norman said Thursday.

Norman’s video will be recorded at the village’s lighthouse park near the wharf at 9 a.m..

“I’d encourage people if they have any of the Sarah signs left from the last Olympics to bring them along. If they want to bring a big poster, if they want to wear bright clothing, just bring your happy spirit to send Sarah some great words.”

Mitton captured gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March. She beat her own Canadian record, twice, at the world championship.

She won Canada’s first-ever world medal in women’s shot put with her silver at the Budapest games in 2023. And she is a Commonwealth Games champion and Pan American Games champion.

She recently won gold at the USATF New York City Grand Prix.

Mitton, who turned 28 on Thursday, is getting ready for the Canadian track and field trials coming up at the end of June in Montreal.

She talked to QCCR in March just after winning the world indoor gold medal.

“I’ve had my eye on Paris for two years at least,” Mitton said. “And everything we’ve been doing in the last two years is a part of our preparation.”

Norman says Mitton is an inspiration to many people.

“I’ve always admired her. She’s so well spoken and she’s such a good representative for Queens County and Nova Scotia and Canada. And she’s from Brooklyn. Think about it. We had no fancy track facilities, we just had volunteer teachers who coached, and Sarah stood out and shone, found what she loves and pursued it. And I think that’s such an excellent role model for anyone in any walk of life.”

Even if they can’t make it to Port Medway on Saturday morning, Norman encourages people to make their own videos.

“Get together in your own community, get together with your family, your friends, send a solo video. Just take part and send Sarah Mitton a cheer, a hello, a good luck, a ‘we’re so proud of you’, whatever message people like to make.”

The region is accepting videos by email until July 2. You can send them to cheersfromhome@regionofqueens.com. All videos must be no longer than 10 seconds.

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Queens County athletes ‘wonderful inspiration’, honoured for recent successes

Athletes Sarah Mitton, Michael Moreau, Rebecca Delaney, Abigail Smith and Jillian Young were honoured with a homecoming meet and greet at Queens Place Emera Centre on Thursday. Earl Mielke (right) is the head coach of the snowshoe team for Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens. (Rick Conrad)

Queens County celebrated some of its most successful athletes on Thursday as national and international medallists were honoured at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Four athletes from Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens were joined by judo athlete Abigail Smith and recent world indoor shot put champion Sarah Mitton.

More than 100 people showed up to cheer on the athletes at a homecoming meet and greet organized by the Region of Queens.

Jillian Young, Michael Moreau and Rebecca Delaney made up half of Nova Scotia’s medal-winning snowshoe team at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games which wrapped up this past weekend in Calgary. And Ben Theriau of Hunts Point was on the silver-medal-winning curling team.

Young won silver in the 100 metres and bronze in the 4 x 100-metre relay; Moreau captured the silver in the 4 x 100 men’s relay; and Delaney won gold in the 100 metres and bronze in the 4 x 100 relay.

Only six athletes were selected from across the province for the snowshoe team. And three of them are from right here in Queens.

“These are three snowshoe athletes that made it by competing at provincial games to get to national games,” said Earl Mielke, assistant coach with Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens.

“That tells you something about the program and the commitment and the coaching.

“A huge thanks to the Region of Queens and the wonderful community we have being so welcoming and inclusive. It’s really important and this community is behind these athletes. They know it, we know it and it’s wonderful to be a part of it.”

It was a sentiment shared by all the athletes on Thursday. 

Sarah Mitton of Brooklyn won the gold last Friday in the shot put at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, breaking her own Canadian record twice in the final round on the way to the win.

She said having such solid hometown support has motivated her throughout her whole career.

“It means a lot,” she told the crowd. “So much of who I am is where I came from. And this community and where I grew up, I’ve learned so much. … Everybody that has been a part of my journey has shaped me into the human being I am and most of that comes from here.”

Mitton said financial support was also crucial when she was starting out. And she said that she hopes the community continues to be giving and supportive of athletes like the Special Olympians and fellow Brooklyn athlete Abigail Smith.

“There’s so much talent in this community on every level,” she said in an interview afteward. “And I think with Abigail, she’s up and coming and I think she’s going to be the next really big thing for Queens County. I just always want to make sure we’re continuing to support the next generation. Some day I’m going to retire and these athletes will be the ones carrying Queens County on their backs. And with the Special Olympians, their joy for the sport makes me remember that sport is supposed to be fun.”

Brooklyn judo athlete Abigail Smith is only 16, but she’s already made a mark on the national and international stage, placing on the podium at national competitions and at a recent meet in Denmark. She will be travelling to Germany this month representing Team Canada in an international tournament there.

She said that even though she and Mitton grew up near each other, Thursday was the first time they had actually met.

“It’s pretty cool and pretty crazy. Sarah came up to me and said, ‘Do you mind if I sit by you?’ And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, of course.'”

Smith said it was great to see all the support from the community for all the athletes.

“It’s really nice. Of course, I always know that my community’s been behind (me) supporting me, donations, constant messages and posts. But today was very real, it was very nice, everyone is here to help me and Sarah and our Special Olympics athletes. So it was really nice.”

Mike Ferguson of Milton was one of the people who turned out to show their support.

“They’re providing inspiration to other young people to get involved in their community, in athletics or in arts, or whatever it is that makes them happy,” he said.

“It’s about working together and doing something you love doing and having happy fun at it. That’s what I think is the most important message here. Yes, you can win. There are always winners. But it’s all the rest of it. The way they all talked was so wonderful and they showed that wonderful inspiration.”

If you couldn’t make it to the event in person, you can catch a replay of the livestream on the Queens Place Facebook page. 

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Sarah Mitton, Special Olympics athletes to be honoured at Queens Place on Thursday

Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton throws during a qualification round at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo by Mark Blinch/COC)

If you want to congratulate some Queens County athletes on their recent success, you’ll get your chance on Thursday at Queens Place Emera Centre in Liveprool.

The Region of Queens is hosting a homecoming meet and greet for athletes with Special Olympics Lunenburg/Queens and Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton.

The Special Olympics Winter Games just wrapped in Calgary and Team Nova Scotia won 30 medals, with many of those won by local athletes.

Mitton won the gold medal in the shot put on Friday at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow. 

The event begins at 1 p.m. Seating is limited, but it will also be livestreamed on the Queens Place Facebook page.

Sarah Mitton wins shot put gold at World Athletics Indoor Championships

Sarah Mitton of Brooklyn, Queens County, after winning the gold medal in the shot put at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow on Friday morning. (Sarah Mitton photo)

Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton can now add world champion to her already long list of accomplishments.

The Olympic shot putter from Queens County captured the gold medal Friday morning at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

“Incredible. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” she said in an interview via Zoom from Glasgow shortly after her win. 

“I’ve just been up in the top but never really on top at a world championship and now I’ve done three outdoor worlds and this is my second indoor worlds so it’s been a long time coming, so it’s just really sweet.”

Mitton beat her own Canadian record, twice: once with her fourth throw at 20.20 metres, which secured the gold medal. And then, she beat her own record again with her sixth and last throw of 20.22 metres. That was also a season’s best.

“The last one was really fun because when you’re in the lead you get to be the last thrower,” she said. “And so we know what third is, the only person that can overtake you is this girl in second. She doesn’t do it and then you’re standing there and you still have one attempt and you know you’ve just won a world indoor championships which is kind of surreal because you’re just flooded with emotion. 

“And so I stood there and I had goosebumps all over my legs and I was like, ‘OK. But you still have one more attempt to make a mark and have a better throw and just increase your lead.’ I really love the sixth round. It’s the last throw of the (competition), particularly this one where it’s the very last throw of the comp and it’s just really free. Like it didn’t matter if I threw 10 metres, it didn’t matter if I threw 25, I was still gonna be the champion so I think it opens the door for a really relaxed fun throw.”

German athlete Yemeni Ogunleye captured silver with a personal best throw of 20.19 metres. American Chase Jackson won bronze with a throw of 19.67 metres. 

Mitton said that making her first world indoor final in 2022 and throwing more than 19 metres for the first time at a championship really boosted her confidence. And that set her up for the success she’s had ever since.

She is ranked No. 2 in the world in the shot put. She won Canada’s first ever world medal in women’s shot put with her silver at the Budapest games in 2023. And she is a Commonwealth Games champion and Pan American Games champion.

She set a new Canadian indoor record just last week in the Czech Republic with a throw of 20.08 metres. Her personal best is 20.33 metres.

“I had usually underperformed from what I was usually capable of at these majors and I think it really just opened my eyes to be able to believe in myself that hey you’re now amongst these girls. You can break into their world. And from there, it just seems to have skyrocketed.”

And she’s been doing it all with bone chips in her right elbow. 

“My right arm takes a big brunt of the throw every time. And a lot of the girls struggle with elbow issues and of course the older you get, the more speed and force that gets put through your elbow.

“Thankfully we’ve been able to manage that from a non-surgical perspective for now and everything’s been good. … Thankfully, that’s been much better than last season, so I think that’s why I might be seeing a little bit more success indoors than I did last year.”

While her family didn’t make the trip to Glasgow for the short weekend competition, they will all be in Paris for the Summer Olympics in August.

In Glasgow, she had her coach and his wife and the rest of the Canadian team cheering her on.

“She’s been a big part of my career. She’s very involved. She just brings a really good, fun energy. She’s always the loudest person in the stadium and I can hear her from a mile away. But it’s been really fun to have her here.”

She says that having this breakthrough in Glasgow sets her up nicely for the Olympics.

“I’ve had my eye on Paris for two years at least. And everything we’ve been doing in the last two years is a part of our preparation, the same thing with this championships. This was a big part and I think right now, everything’s working, everything’s coming together.”

Mitton has a few meets coming up in China and Morocco, before returning to Canada to begin high-performance training. Then there are the national championships at the end of June, before heading to Barcelona to train and prepare for the Olympics.

Before any of that, though, she’ll be taking a week off and coming home to Liverpool to visit friends and family. And she may even pop into the gym at Queens Place Emera Centre when she’s home.

“I’m excited to see everybody,” she says. “I think it’s always fun walking into Queens Place. It can be really overwhelming, because it’s a lot of people I grew up with. It’s a lot of friends and family, but it’s also just been really great. When you show up, you know everybody and it just feels like home.

“I just want to thank everyone so much for the support. I know the flood of that comes from Liverpool and Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, and all through the East Coast. But I’m working my best to get back to everyone, but I will see you all when I get home. And I just really appreciate all the messages and the support.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to QCCR’s interview with Sarah Mitton below

Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton wins gold at world indoor championships

Athletes line up in front of a wall displaying pictures of their achievements

Sarah Mitton, wearing the red Team Canada jersey, was among the inaugural inductees to the Olympic Wall at Queens Place Emera Centre. Photo Ed Halverson

UPDATED 8:55 a.m. FRIDAY

Brooklyn’s Sarah Mitton won gold Friday morning in the shot put at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow with a season’s best throw of 20.22 metres.

She broke her own Canadian record with the throw.

German athlete Yemeni Ogunleye captured silver with a personal best throw of 20.19 metres. American Chase Jackson won bronze with a throw of 19.67 metres.

Mitton is ranked No. 2 in the world in the shot put. She won Canada’s first ever world medal in women’s shot put with her silver at the Budapest games in 2023. She is also a Commonwealth Games champion and Pan American Games champion.

Mitton is the co-captain of Team Canada at the world indoor championships.

She set a new Canadian indoor record last week in the Czech Republic with a throw of 20.08 metres. Her personal best is 20.33 metres.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com