A spectator killed by an errant weight in a hammer throw event at a youth track and field meet was a dedicated father and husband with a great sense of humor, relatives said.
The accident Sunday at the Colorado United Track Club meet at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs killed Wade Langston, 57, of Colorado Springs, the El Paso County coroner’s office said Tuesday.
“He was a truly wonderful person who brought laughter to every room he entered,” wrote niece-in-law Tamara Rocha for a GoFundMe effort that had raised over $7,500.
The funds will help Langston’s son, a high school senior, with college tuition, according to the post.
The weight cleared “certified barriers” before striking Langston in a fieldhouse at the University of Colorado’s Colorado Springs campus, according to a university statement.
Firefighters pronounced Langston dead at the scene. Witnesses reported Langston trying to shield his wife and son from the incoming weight.
University spokesperson Jenna Press declined to comment Tuesday when asked whether possible factors in the accident, including who set up the barriers and how, were being investigated.
The so-called hammer in the hammer throw event is actually a ball on a chain. The ball weighs 16 pounds (7 kilograms) for men and 9 pounds (4 kilograms) for women in adult competition, according to World Athletics, the international track and field governing body.
Athletes spin in a circle to gain momentum before releasing the weight to throw as far as they can.
Another GoFundMe effort for Langston’s family started by Colorado United Track Club coach Erik Huffman had raised over $10,500 for Langston’s family.
The family had no further comment besides its statement, Rocha said by email. A message left for Huffman through his GoFundMe page wasn’t immediately returned Tuesday.
Fatal accidents at track and field competitions are rare but not unheard of. A shot-put ball struck and killed an officiant during practice at the U.S. track and field championships in Los Angeles in 2005.
A hammer killed a student at a college track and field meet at Wheaton College in Illinois in 2017.
