Anita Wlodarczyk: hammer queen targets her fifth world title in Budapest

'Veteran' Anita Wlodarczyk injured herself in a car theft but has recovered since and feels 25 again.

Anita Wlodarczyk is known in the world of sport as the queen of the hammer throw. Not without reason, as she was the first competitor to throw over 80 metres, the only one to have won three consecutive Olympic titles and four World Championships gold medals. At 37, she is a veteran athlete who is preparing for the biggest throw at the World Championships in Budapest in less than five months: the fifth world title that is unlikely to be repeated in the future. 

However, her success story has a thriller-like storyline, which proves that the Polish athlete can fight like a feisty Amazon not only on the track, but also on the streets. Nine months ago Anita Wlodarcyk could feel herself  brave and proud, but she was also a victim.

She caught a thief but got injured

Answering to SzPress News Service, the superstar of athletics recalled the story of capturing the thief who was trying to steal her car. 

"When else could it have happened than the day before the Polish championships in Warsaw. Just as I was starting to do my exercises in the training room, I suddenly had a strange feeling that something bad was happening to my car in the parking lot. I was right, a man had already managed to open the door of my car. As soon as the thief noticed that I had called the police, he started running and tried to escape. I started running after him as fast as I could and after 120 meters I caught the thief. It was the fastest sprint of my life. My adrenaline level was so high that I felt only a few hours later that  my legs started to hurt, getting worse and worse. The MRI scan revealed a muscle tear that could only be repaired with surgery. The psychological damage was terrible as I had to withdraw from the World Championships and the European Championships. I started the season with a promising 78-metre throw, so I could have done 80 metres. Another operation was followed by rehabilitation. The good news is that I have recovered, I am working hard and will soon be ready for the next two big competitions: the World Championships in Budapest and the Olympics in Paris. Also, the car thief is in jail, " Wlodarczyk informed SzPress.

Veteran only on paper

"I've achieved  everything I've ever wanted to, I'm an Olympic, World and European champion. I don't care about my age, I have 22 years of hard work behind me with some difficult times due to injuries. As long as the sport gives me pleasure and I can do the training, I have no reason to retire. The only thing I have changed is that since a few years ago I have been much more focused on regenerating my body and being as strong mentally as I am phisically. People tend to call athletes over the age of 35 veterans, but that's just a prejudice I'm trying to disprove. I can't deny my age, I'll be over my 38th birthday by the time the World Championships start in Budapest, but even 25-year-olds can be jealous of my motivation." 

She last competed on June 5 last year at the Kusocinski Memorial in Chorzów and plans to return to the traditional Taipei international event on May 27. Anita and her master, the Croatian Ivica Jakelic,  who has been helping her for three years now, will have a great success together if she wins another gold medal at the World Championships in Budapest. 

"We have known each other for 15 years, we have met many times at training camps and competitions, but it was only in 2019 that I thought: if I could start training again after two serious surgeries, I would do it with Ivica's help. He is an excellent person and a great professional. In November 2020, we started the preparations for the Tokyo Olympics and it was as if I had never trained before. In nine months, I managed to get back in shape to become Olympic champion for the third time. I think it's a fairytale story: a serious injury and surgery followed by a long rehabilitation, a change of coaches, cautious training, a successful comeback. Then, the icing on the cake, my third Olympic victory." 

Wlodarczyk is currently training in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and will return to Poland. Soon she heads to Doha, which she already refers to as a base. As the weather improves, probably at the end of April, she will return home.

I came, I saw, I conquered in Paris?

She is proud to have made sporting history by breaking the 80-metre barrier, and also to have improved the world record several times. She is still making plans, and she is sure about winning more gold medals.

"I've been all around the world, but I've never been to Paris. What a story it would be if my first visit was crowned by another Olympic gold medal, the fourth in a row. However, I know Hungary well, particularly the host city of the Gyulai István Memorial Hungarian Grand Prix.  The only problem I had was that I could never once pronounce Székesfehérár correctly. I have a favourite café there, where I always have a good black coffee before the competition. I'm a big coffee drinker, so I'd like to know as soon as possible where to go in Budapest." 

She has had five surgeries during her career. "I came back from every surgery with a victory because I was strong in mind and body. After last year's drama it would be nice if it were the same in Budapest. It would be easier to get to the podium healthy, but it will also be a strong motivation for me to know what a difficult road I had to get back as a favourite. I'll take care of my health, I'll work hard on regeneration and I hope that I won't have to face any car thieves in the future" – said the queen of hammer throwing, who already has plans for her post-competition years, but these will be on ice until she completes her mission in Budapest and Paris.

Péter Szalay

SzPress News Service