Spectator killed by hammer thrown at high school track meet, Colorado university says

Update: The man killed in the hammer throw accident has been identified as Wade Langston, 57, KCNC reported.

“He was a truly wonderful person who brought laughter to every room he entered with his great sense of humor,” his family said in a statement, describing Langston as a “devoted husband, loving father, cherished brother and brother-in-law, fun uncle, and an even more fun great-uncle.”

The original story continues below.

A hammer thrown by an athlete during a track and field meet at a Colorado university hit and killed a spectator, officials reported.

The fatal accident took place at about 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at a high school meet hosted by the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, university officials said in a news release.

The weighted hammer cleared “certified barriers” and hit the man, who was pronounced dead by paramedics, university officials said.

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

The meet, part of a series of three for club sport students across Colorado, was canceled.

The Colorado United Track Club said the man was the father of an athlete at the meet, KRDO reported.

Police and firefighters responded to the incident, officials said.

The hammer throw, in which competitors seek to throw a wire-handled spherical weight the farthest, is an Olympic track and field event, Britannica said.

Colorado Springs is about a 70-mile drive south from Denver.

This story was originally published January 27, 2025 at 7:14 AM with the headline "Spectator killed by hammer thrown at high school track meet, Colorado university says."