Anita Wlodarczyk Polish hammer thrower Date of Birth: 08.08.1985 Country: Poland

1. Anita Włodarczyk - Polish Hammer Thrower
2. Early Life and Career
3. Olympic and World Championship Success
4. Continued Success and World Record
5. World Record and Olympic Gold

Anita Włodarczyk - Polish Hammer Thrower

Anita Włodarczyk is a Polish hammer thrower and one of the most successful athletes in her discipline. She is an Olympic champion, winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, and a silver medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She is also a world champion and a two-time European champion. Włodarczyk has set three world records in the hammer throw.

Early Life and Career

Anita Włodarczyk was born in 1985 in the small town of Rawicz, Poland. Her first major competition was the European Junior Championships in 1998. In 2001, Włodarczyk started competing for the sports club Kadet Rawicz, and four years later, she moved to AZS AWF Poznań.

In 2006, Włodarczyk won her first medal in high-level competitions - a bronze medal at the Polish Athletics Championships. The following year, she became the national champion in the under-23 age group and earned the right to compete in the European U23 Championships. However, she did not advance beyond the qualification round.

Olympic and World Championship Success

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Anita Włodarczyk finished in sixth place. Before 2008, she also competed in discus throw, with her best achievement being 52.26m in Poznań.

In 2009, Włodarczyk had a remarkable year. She won her first gold medal at the European Team Championships in Athletics. She also broke the world record in hammer throw twice, first with a throw of 76.20m in Biała Podlaska, and then with a throw of 76.59m in Ostrava. Later that year, she set a new national record for Poland with a throw of 77.20m and finally, at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, she set a new world record of 77.96m.

However, her 2009 season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury she sustained while celebrating her victory at the World Championships. In recognition of her sporting achievements, she was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Continued Success and World Record

After recovering from her injury, Anita Włodarczyk continued her success in 2010. She won the Meeting Grand Prix IAAF de Dakar and broke her own world record with a throw of 78.30m. In the same year, she won a bronze medal at the European Championships and a silver medal in the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge.

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Włodarczyk won the silver medal with a throw of 77.60m, finishing behind Russian athlete Tatiana Lysenko. The following year, at the World Championships in Moscow, she set a new national record of 78.46m but again finished in second place, this time behind Lysenko.

World Record and Olympic Gold

In 2015, Włodarczyk made history by becoming the first woman to throw the hammer beyond 80 meters. She set a new world record of 81.08m at the competition in Cetniewo, Poland. She also won another gold medal at the World Athletics Championships.

In 2016, Włodarczyk continued her dominant performance in the hammer throw. She won the gold medal at the European Championships with a throw of 78.14m. Later that year, at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she set a new world record of 82.29m, winning the gold medal and solidifying her status as one of the greatest hammer throwers of all time.

Anita Włodarczyk's achievements in the hammer throw have made her a national hero in Poland and an inspiration to aspiring athletes around the world. Her dedication, skill, and record-breaking performances have established her as one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport.