3. ANITA WLORDACZYK
Setting a WR remains one of the most outstanding hallmarks in an athlete’s career, but furthering one’s own WR must be truly special. Poland’s Wlordacyzk redefined the women’s Hammer throw with her consistency in 2015, making it one of the most talked about events in Track and Field this year.
The 30-year old won every one of her 11 competitions this year, demonstrating that she meant business ahead of the World Championships. Wlordaczyk is no stranger to setting WRs! She set the first WR of her career at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin where she won GOLD with 77.96m. The following year she improved on her record with a new mark of 78.30m, then set another WR of 79.58m in August last year.
She became the first woman in history to throw over 80m after setting another WR of 81.08m less than a month to the World Championships in Beijing. She achieved this remarkable feat on home soil at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, and was ready to upgrade to GOLD in Beijing, after winning Silver in Moscow behind Russia’s Tatyana Lysenko.
The reigning European champion dominated the event from the word go and went on to record two throws beyond the 80m mark, throwing 80.27m and 80.85m in rounds three and four respectively; the latter was a Championship Record (CR), earning her the GOLD medal.
Breaking the WR in Beijing would have been the perfect climax for Wlordaczyk though: “The title, the world record, I cannot ask for more this year. I proved that I can throw far also at international competition not only at home with the support of the home crowd. I’m a bit disappointed because I really wanted the world record here in Beijing”, she said.
