Spectator hit and killed by weight throw at Colorado Springs track meet

Field events have always been dubious IMHO. I can appreciate the high and broad jump these being pure physical challenges without any need of some implement. The discus, javelin, and hammer throws are vestiges of our warrior past, and their relevance need to be reexamined. The pole vault is beyond ridiculous and belongs in a circus.

I hosted indoor meets for years in a facility with a throwing area that was impossible to make 100% safe given the space in the facility and the parameters of our cage. We did the best we could to make it as safe as possible, but were absolutely vulnerable to this kind of tragedy. I don't think this situation is unusual--it could happen at many venues.

If I had to do it over again, I would have told my administrators that we could not host meets in that facility the way it was. Either that, or piss off the visiting teams by making the weight throw conclude before the rest of the meet begins. Or not contest the weight. Current coaches may want to take note.

It was a Ohio St Shot Putter who threw in-sector on Thu, a warmup day at Home Depot. Paal Suzuki was adjusting the return-rail when the shot hit Paul in the head killing him instantly. Marine Sgt Major Rat Fitzhue his best friend had driven Paul to the meet because DMV took his Drivers Licence for being senile. USATF allowed a senile man to officiate and was sued by the family. They settled out-of-court. I was there. It was a sad day.

When you have men throwing a 35 lb weight as far as they can, spinning as fast as they can, you will never have 100% safety.

an errant throw, a slip out of the hand... any of that can lead to very bad things.

Made NYTimes too:

nytimes.com

Weight Tossed in Indoor Hammer Throw Event Kills Spectator at Track Meet

By Victor Mather

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs, which hosted the event, said the implement had “cleared certified barriers.”

Link:www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/sports/hamm...

In the 90’s I was at Mt SAC Relays and the discus was going on at same time as jumps at far end of fenced sector. Athletes in jump area were seated on the ground in a line along the runway with their backs to the field waiting for the event to begin. A discus throw landed and then skimmed underneath the temporary fencing and hit one of the jumpers in the back of the head who was knocked out cold. The person survived but it was very scary to witness. Meet organizers and officials need to consider risks before the meet begins.

The facility is 100% a track & field complex (no other sports are contested in that building). There have been all kinds of meets held there over the years (college, high school, open, masters) without incident. The throw in question cleared not only the cage, cage door, the safety barriers and the netting, it landed around 15-20 feet outside of it. The trajectory of the throw was beyond the "field of play", similar to a foul ball, hockey puck over the glass, people getting run over on the sidelines at a football game, a cyclist or race car crashing off the track / road. A horribly sad event and traumatic for all involved, but not unheard of like similar tragedies in other sports. A fatality is just not something a person expects to experience when attending a sporting event until it happens.

The nets/cage need to be setup at the correct angle that these things are impossible to happen. If they are throwing it straight up in the air then have something above them that doesn't allow for this. MLB baseball parks have started putting up higher nets several years ago. Difference is with baseball or hockey, it doesn't weight 35 lbs.

Or contest the event with solely officials and competitors in the building if spectating areas can't be made completely safe or if the competitors aren't all skilled enough to avoid the implement landing anywhere behind the cage. Something like foul line netting in baseball dropped from the ceiling 10' in front of bleachers or standing area would be a cheap measure to vastly improve safety.

The amount of people that are hit by some throwing implement in Track & Field makes no sense. Yes contest it in an area where this can't happen. Safety should be the number 1 priority. The officials knew there was a problem before it happened and did nothing.

If they can't used a cage that makes it impossible for it to go into the stands, then they shouldn't have the event.

I am so sorry you witnessed this, and especially sad for everyone there. Please seek professional guidance, and encourage your teammates to do so as well.

UCCS is scheduled to host three more indoor meets:

Feb 15 Mountain Lion Open
Feb 16 High School Indoor State Championships (hosted by Colorado United Track Club)
Feb 28-Mar 1 RMAC Indoor Championships

As far as I know it was built as an indoor track facility a few years ago. I’m not aware it is used for anything else although it may be. When it was being built it was definitely said to be that they were building an indoor track.

I was a throws coach for years and feal really bad about this.

One time many years ago at an indoor meet a male shot putter learning the spin.

The sprints were being contested on the straight so some athletes were warming up on the curve of the track.

The shot from the spinner warming up missed my sprinter stretching on the track. It missed his head by about a foot. He was unaware that it happened (I watched it). I told all administration ,facility, and state about the incident. Note thousands of throws would not come close to the track. Implements do not know boundaries.

Facilities need to be made with sturdy barriers that contain all throws. Anyone involved with a construction of a facility needs to have safe areas for throws. I like metal barriers better than nets.

These are weapons and should be treated as such.