2023-06-07 08:44:00
She used to beat the world record in Bydgoszcz, now she gets ovations there for everything she did in the past. Anita Włodarczyk took only seventh place in the 5th Memorial of Irena Szewińska. Brooke Andersen won with a poor result of 69.54 m, throwing 78.79 m. The American is the best hammer thrower in the world this year – on May 20, she threw as much as 80.17 m. Włodarczyk has only the 34th result – 70.67 m thrown on June 4 in Chorzów.
In total, Włodarczyk competed four times this year – in Kenya she reached 70.27 m, in Taiwan 66.38 m, in Chorzów 70.67 m and 69.54 m in Bydgoszcz. These results are absolutely beyond the capabilities of a three-time Olympic champion, four-time world champion and four-time European champion. Even if this multi-champion is almost 38 years old.
Włodarczyk believes she can still throw long distances. It just needs time to get in shape. A year ago, chasing a man who tried to steal her car (the chase was successful, the criminal was handed over to the police) she tore her biceps muscle and had to undergo surgery. She lost the World Championships in Eugene and the European Championships in Munich. Now he comes back and says that the only goal he has in mind is not this year’s events, but the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Łukas Jachimiak: How do you feel when you start in competitions where you don’t throw even 70 meters? You don’t seem to be uptight.
Anita Włodarczyk: Exactly 13 years ago – on June 6, 2010 – in Bydgoszcz, I set a world record with the result of 78.30 m. Today it is an impossible result for me that now I will not throw even 75 meters, because I know at what stage of preparation I am. But the most important thing is that I returned to competitions, and earlier to training, and that I worked through all the preparations in good health. This really makes me very happy. Some things can’t be jumped over, but the job is done, so let’s be calm. The season before the Tokyo Olympics was similar. It is true that Bydgoszcz disenchanted me then, but it was closer to the Olympics. And now I just know where I am.
It means that you are not in a hurry, you do not want to be in shape for the World Championships in August at all costs, but you are already thinking more about next year’s Olympics?
– Yes, Paris is on my horizon. It won’t be like it used to be that I’m starting the season and it’s great and I’m getting better from competition to competition. But I talk to a lot of people and everyone tells me that I can see that I have peace in my head. It really is. I had to sort it out, I had to accept certain things.
What?
– That girls throw 10 or even 12 meters further than me. If I still thought about it, if it was still killing me, I wouldn’t be able to stand it mentally. I walked the path before Tokyo and I’m going to walk the same path before Paris.
The result of 78.30 meters is…
– Now this is space for me! Hahaha!
I know, but I wanted to ask if you think you’ll be ready for that kind of throwing in Paris next year.
– I think so. You just need to follow a certain training plan, and in fact it was only in January that I entered real strength training. Only then did I start squats with a barbell and at the moment I only have 100 kilos on my back, and the strongest girls sit down at 180-190 kilos. You really need to redo yours.
But you’ve never carried the heaviest weights, have you? You used great technique.
– That’s right, but when I compare what is now and what was in a similar period, for example before Tokyo, then I had 40-50 kilos more on the barbell. And you also have to remember that I am an increasingly older player and although I work great during training, it will not always be a postponement. This has to be accepted. And keep believing in yourself. If I didn’t believe it, I would have finished my career by now. But I still see that light at the end of the tunnel.
You really seem to have peace of mind. Did the Tokyo Olympics give you that much, which you won despite the troubles ahead?
– Yes. At that time, I believed that the form would eventually come and it did. This confirms to me that I have to go this way a second time. Now that I’ve done it, it’s easier for me to accept it now.
Also, speaking of drawing conclusions, say that you won’t be chasing thieves anymore.
– I don’t know, ha-ha! I don’t know what else life will bring me. But I laugh that if I survive next Friday, it will be fine – it will be the anniversary of this incident.
What are your nearest plans?
– The nearest starts are June 13 in Finland and June 18 in Poznań.
Not planning exotics anymore? There was Kenya, there was Taiwan and that’s enough for now?
– I must admit that I flew to Taiwan blind. It was a big surprise for me at the beginning of the year when the organizers of the meeting contacted my manager and invited me. I didn’t even realize they were hammer throwers in Taiwan. There are no athletes from there at the Olympics or World Championships. They are at such a level that the record holder in Taiwan is a girl who throws 61 meters. So I was flying blind, and on the spot I was positively surprised by the organization of the competition and the atmosphere. I got over jet lag [objawy związane ze zmianą strefy czasowej – red.]but other than that it was very enjoyable. I think that I will definitely come back there, because I met many wonderful people. Honestly? I felt there like Usain Bolt, who went to meetings around the world. It was amazing for them. And for me too. Even though I’m a super athlete, it was fun to compete with girls from Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan. Exotic, great time. Apart from competitions! Haha!
What about throwing in the desert in Qatar – did you really throw or just fiddle around with the hammer for a great photo?
– I was throwing! It was my dream to throw a few throws there. And I haven’t published everything yet, I have a nice surprise. I really wanted to have a unique session in a place where I spend a lot of time. I will have a beautiful souvenir from Qatar. It was a great experience.
Did you manage to find all the hammers thrown in the sand of the desert?
– Yes, the problem was different – we had to buy a special plate so that we could do rotations. And thanks to her I was leaving both from the dune and up towards the dune. It was really great fun.
Taiwan, Kenya, the desert in Qatar – you complete the places where you cast so much that you probably only have Antarctica left?
– Antarctica and Australia. In fact, that’s all I have left.
In a few years, the Olympic Games will be held in Brisbane, Australia…
– But it will be 2032!
Too late?
– Nie no, ha, ha, ha!
Seriously now – are you thinking beyond Paris 2024?
“For now, Paris is on the horizon and we’ll see how things work out.
Is your health good enough to extend your career? You haven’t had that many surgeries for all these years of success, have you?
– Five operations is not a lot? Haha!
Much less than medals.
– Yeah. And in fact, most of the operations came from some strange situations. Only the knee in 2019 was to be repaired due to overloading. It was a serious injury. But for the years of my career, I withstood all the overloads well. My left leg has been through a lot, it’s the most important leg for me, because it’s rotatable, but I have great medical care, we’ve always come out of the injury victorious, now it’s the same and you just need to put everything in order and work through the training.
Are you okay now?
– No, knock on wood, nothing hurts, we didn’t have to miss a single training in preparation. With experience, slowly, in small steps, we move forward.
And you will be able not to want to accelerate too much, not to think about the medal of this year’s world championships?
– As of today, I don’t think so. I have Paris in my mind, and I would like to start at the World Championships in Budapest. I’m hoping to qualify, throwing around 75 yards. I have to throw myself in competitions. Even though I am an experienced competitor, I need a lot of starts, because in recent seasons I fell out of it, and it’s different in competitions than in training. This year I just want to compete as much as possible.
You said that if you didn’t believe in yourself, you would end your career, and tell me, when working on getting back in shape, didn’t you think “Why am I doing this, why am I still struggling, since I’ve already won everything and several times”?
“It’s just nice that I’ve got everything and I haven’t had any thoughts yet. I told myself that as long as I enjoy training, I will want to train. It’s all cool. It was fun in Bydgoszcz, because even though I was throwing 68 meters, the fans supported me, there was a great atmosphere. It’s nice that the fans are also in those moments when it’s worse, and not only when it’s great.
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