Winger returns to javelin competition with victory at NYC Grand Prix

Despite a nearly two-year break from competition, Kara Winger is still among the nation’s elite javelin throwers.

The four-time Olympian and Skyview High School graduate won the USATF New York City Grand Prix on Sunday. Winger’s winning throw of 63.22 meters (207 feet, 5 inches) was more than 10 feet better than second place Maggie Malone-Hardin.

Winger, 38, hadn’t competed since September 2022. After initially retiring, she has resumed a late-career surge that saw her win a silver medal at the World Championships in June 2022.

Three months later, she reclaimed the U.S. Women’s Record from Malone-Hardin with a lifetime-best throw of 68.11 meters at a Diamond League meet in Brussels, Belgium.

Now, Winger hopes to reach her fifth Olympics this summer in Paris. Sunday’s mark qualified her for the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month in Eugene, Ore.

Winger’s best throw Sunday, which came on her second of six attempts, is the second-best mark by an American woman this season. Only Malone-Hardin has gone farther with a mark of 65.0 meters on June 1.

A three-time state champion at Skyview, Winger was the featured speaker at The Columbian’s All-Region Awards Ceremony last Wednesday. A sold-out crowd of about 350, including many of Southwest Washington’s top high school athletes, heard her speak at the Kiggins Theatre.