Vancouver's Kara Winger gets the Hayward Magic and earns silver medal at world champs...
EUGENE--She's been a nine-time USA national champion in the javelin, and a former national record holder.
She's been to four Olympics, and six world championships, but had never made the podium at either the world championships or Olympics in her career.
Until tonight.
In what is supposed to be the final meet of her storied career, Vancouver native Kara Winger (Paul Merca photo) came up big in the sixth round, with a throw of 210-1 (64.05m) to move from fifth to second and get herself on the podium at the World Athletics Championships Friday night at Historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
Winger started round six in fifth place with a best of 203-11 (62.17m), which had everything held, would have tied her highest finish at the world championships in Doha.
But she would have none of that.
Winger ran down the runway, cocked the spear back and rifled it, with the Hayward Field crowd willing the implement until it landed 210-1 (64.05m), moving her into second.
With defending champion Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia, who did her final prep for the world championships at Husky Track in Seattle, opting to pass her final two throws after throwing a 2022 world leading mark of 219-6 (66.91m), the fight for the third medal came down to China's Shiying Liu and Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi.
Liu, who was third going into the final round at 207-6 (63.25m) fouled, while Kitaguchi answered with a throw of 207-7 (63.27m) to take third.
Stanford alum Mackenzie Little of Australia, who held the lead early with a personal best throw of 207-5 (63.22m) in round 1, finished fifth.
In the mixed zone, Winger, the graduate of Skyview HS and Purdue University said, "I really just wanted to improve my performance in front of the home crowd. And here we are - 64.05."
"I know what is in me this season so I am very excited to have a couple more meets. And see what I can do. I really though that coming to Tokyo would be like a top of my career."
"My husband (Russ, a University of Idaho alum and former world class discus thrower) is my coach, we have been together for 13 years, I just had so many opportunities and so much support from the local crowd, to grab a medal here almost at home, at Hayward Field, it is what I dreamed about but I am still in disbelief that it actually happened."
"It is very cool to be a team like this. I have always been a stubborn wife and like not listening to his good ideas until this year, when he was my coach. I knew he was going to support me no matter what but I am so happy to make him proud."
That second quote suggests that she may throw on the invitational circuit before calling it a career, as she extended her career one season, expecting to finish off with the world championships two hours by car from her hometown of Vancouver.
In the other final involving an athlete with Washington ties, former University of Washington standout Gianna Woodruff of Panama finished seventh in the 400 hurdles, running 54.75.
As she did at the Tokyo Olympics, Sydney McLaughlin of Team USA set a world record in winning the race in 50.68.
Femke Bol of The Netherlands was second, tying her season best of 52.27, while defending champion and Woodruff's training partner and former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad of Team USA was third in 53.13, also a season best.
NOTE: World Athletics, USA Track & Field and the Oregon22 organizing committee contributed to this report.
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