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Spectator at Colorado high school track meet killed after being struck by athlete's hammer

saman shafiq, usa today
·2 min read

A spectator was killed during a high school track and field meet at a University of Colorado campus when a participant's hammer weight fatally struck him.

The incident occurred at the Mountain Lion Fieldhouse on the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) campus around 9:30 a.m. local time Sunday morning, UCCS said in a statement.

"During a club sports track and field meet for high school students from across Colorado, taking place at the Mountain Lion Fieldhouse on the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus, a member of the attending audience was killed when a hammer thrown by a participant cleared certified barriers and struck him," the statement said.

A hammer is pictured prior to the men's hammer throw final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, on August 4, 2024.
A hammer is pictured prior to the men's hammer throw final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, on August 4, 2024.

In hammer throwing, the "hammer" is a heavy metal ball attached to a grip by a steel wire, according to World Athletics. The winner of the event is the athlete who throws the hammer the greatest distance while remaining within a seven-foot diameter circle.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department responded to the accident and provided medical care, but "ultimately pronounced the audience member dead at the scene," the statement said, adding UCCS Police Department and the Colorado Springs Police Department were also on the scene.

The deceased has since been confirmed by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office to be 57-year-old Wade Langston.

“We are heartbroken at this horrible accident and are focused on supporting all involved,” UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet said in a statement.

Victim was parent of competing athlete: local reports

Colorado United Track Club, the organizers of the event, issued a statement identifying Langston as the father of a team member who attends Vista Ridge High School, local outlet KRDO-TV reported. The man had reportedly tried to block the hammer weight from hitting his son and wife, KRDO said.

USA TODAY has reached out to Colorado United Track Club for comment.

UCCS spokesperson Chris Valentine told USA TODAY Monday that no college students were in attendance at the high school club track meet held on campus.

Sunday's track meet was one of a three-meet series held on the UCCS campus, according to UCCS. The first meet occurred on Dec. 15, 2024, while the third meet is scheduled for Feb. 16.

The UCCS United High School Meet Series was organized to "allow athletes to compete at a high level at one of the best facilities in the Mountain West and the nation," and "showcase some of the top athletes," the event's website says. Field events include the long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, shot put and weight throw.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spectator fatally struck by hammer throw at UCCS campus track meet