WHEN THE 2024 CAMPAIGN opened, the American women’s javelin team had one thrower with the Paris Q of 210-0 (64.00) — 30-year-old Maggie Malone Hardin, who had thrown 210-1 (64.04) in September in Poland — and few prospects for any others. The U.S. also had little presence in the crucial WA rankings. The OG field was to be 32 women.
That all changed on June 09, when the most dominant American woman javelin thrower of the last generation, 38-year-old Kara Winger, suddenly reappeared out of retirement. She had stepped away after a dramatic silver medal at the ’22 Worlds in Eugene, happy to walk off the world stage with a medal.
But… she just couldn’t stay away. That day at Randalls Island, she threw 207-5 (63.22). As the Trials began, could she find the remaining 2½ft she needed to go to Paris?
She would have 9 opportunities in Eugene — 3 throws in qualifying, 6 more in the final. Not much else seemed to matter in this competition.
In qualifying, one important thrower fell by the wayside. Ariana Ince, who had thrown 211-3 (64.38) only 2 years ago, managed just 157-2 (47.91) and was done. Winger had 3 legal throws, topped by 206-8 (63.01); 6 to go.
This was, after all, her attempt at more history. As a 22-year-old student at Purdue, then-Kara Patterson from nearby Vancouver, Washington, she threw 202-0 (61.56) in ’08 and made the first of 4 Olympic teams, to also be followed by 6 World Championship squads. Malone broke Winger’s AR of 218-8 (66.67), so in ’22 she even took that back, reaching 223-5 (68.11).
Malone Hardin continued to impress, improving to 213-3 (65.00) — the No. 3 throw in the world for ’24 — at a meet in Idaho on June 01. Winger did not throw there, but a week later, there she was in New York.
In Sunday’s final, in front of the big crowd inside Hayward Field for the last day of competition, Malone Hardin opened with 211-10 (64.58) to set a Trials Record — as if to prove that 64m clearly could be reached that day.
Admitting she did not expect the MR, Malone Hardin said, “If you’ve ever heard the term ‘blew your wad,’ that’s kind of what it felt like. I could not believe I threw over 64 and also — I told Kara this — I don’t throw 64 if she’s not here. Every time she comes in somewhere she elevates the field. I thought it would take 65m to win because I thought, ‘She’s throwing 64m.’”
Winger was damn well going to try. She reached 199-6 (60.82) in round 4. Then in round 6, with all eyes on the spear as she let it go, it soared and soared, but alas only to 206-6 (62.94). Her 207-5 sat thirteenth on the World list for ’24, but chances to rise in the WA rankings appeared to be slim.
Malone Hardin may be required to go to the Big Dance without a partner.
WOMEN’S JAVELIN RESULTS
FINAL (June 30)
1. Maggie Malone Hardin (NYAC) 211-10 (64.58) (MR)
(211-10, f, 182-0, f, 188-6, 209-0) (64.58, f, 55.48, f, 57.47, 63.70);
2. Kara Winger (TSNYAC) 206-6 (62.94)
(175-8, 186-0, f, 199-6, 190-7, 206-6) (53.55, 56.69, f, 60.82, 58.08, 62.94);
3. Madison Wiltrout (unat) 200-8 (61.17) PR (8, x A)
(187-8, 200-8, 183-8, f, 184-9, 200-7) (57.20, 61.17, 55.98, f, 56.31, 61.15);
4. Avione Allgood (ThrowR) 188-8 (57.52)
(179-7, 177-11, 188-8, 185-7, 185-8, f) (54.74, 54.23, 57.52, 56.57, 56.61, f);
5. Maddie Harris (Nb) 184-5 (56.21)
(164-6, 160-4, 184-5, 177-5, 173-4, f) (50.15, 48.88, 56.21, 54.08, 52.84, f);
6. Evie Bliss (Buck) 183-2 (55.82) PR
(173-11, 171-5, 183-2, 181-4, f, 174-4) (53.03, 52.25, 55.82, 55.29, f, 53.15);
7. Jada Green (Co) 179-9 (54.80) PR
(160-2, 168-3, 179-9, 150-1, 168-8, 163-8) (48.83, 51.28, 54.80, 45.75, 51.40, 49.89);
8. Casey Bogues (Day) 176-1 (53.68)
(164-10, 176-1, 165-9, 161-4, 153-10, f) (50.24, 53.68, 50.52, 49.18, 46.89, f);
9. Shea Greene (Prin) 175-9 (53.57); 10. Skylar Ciccolini (Mo) 158-9 (48.38); 11. Julia Campezato (Vel) 157-7 (48.05);… 3f—Maria Bienvenu (TCU).
QUALIFYING (June 28)
Qualifiers: Winger 206-8 (63.01), Malone Hardin 204-9 (62.40), Allgood 194-9 (59.37), Bogues 188-4 (57.41) PR, Ciccolini 181-9 (55.40), Green 178-6 (54.42) PR, Wiltrout 176-7 (53.83), Bliss 175-1 (53.37) PR, Harris 173-3 (52.81), Greene 172-5 (52.57), Bienvenu 171-3 (52.20), Campezato 169-6 (51.67) PR;
Non-Qualifiers: Rebekah Wales (unat) 169-3 (51.59), Kelsi Oldroyd (UtV) 168-0 (51.22), Trinity Spooner (unat) 167-7 (51.08), Elizabeth Bailey (Char) 165-11 (50.58), Sarah Blake (unat) 163-7 (49.87), Emma Yungeberg (Mi) 163-4 (49.79), Erin Zimmerman (Mo) 161-8 (49.28), Erin McMeniman (Ga) 160-4 (48.86), Brooke Stratman (Army) 158-8 (48.37), Ariana Ince (Vel) 157-2 (47.91), Alysa Keller (BYU) 156-7 (47.72), McKenzie Fairchild (TxAM) 150-6 (45.89).