Anita Włodarczyk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anita Włodarczyk

Anita Włodarczyk in 2016 Rio Olympics
Personal information
Born	(1985-08-08) 8 August 1985 (age 39) Rawicz, Poland
Height	1.76 m
Weight	100 kg
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Hammer throw
Club	Skra Warszawa
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Poland Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 0 0 World Championships 4 0 0 European Championships 4 1 1 Continental Cup 1 0 0 European Team Championships 3 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Hammer throw Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Hammer throw Gold 2020 Tokyo Hammer throw World Championships Gold 2009 Berlin Hammer throw Gold 2013 Moscow Hammer throw Gold 2015 Beijing Hammer throw Gold 2017 London Hammer throw European Championships Gold 2012 Helsinki Hammer throw Gold 2014 Zürich Hammer throw Gold 2016 Amsterdam Hammer throw Gold 2018 Berlin Hammer throw Silver 2024 Rome Hammer throw Bronze 2010 Barcelona Hammer throw European Team Championships Gold 2009 Leiria Hammer throw Gold 2015 Cheboksary Hammer throw Gold 2025 Madrid Hammer throw Silver 2013 Gateshead Hammer throw Continental Cup Gold 2014 Marrakech Hammer throw European Cup Winter Throwing Gold 2008 Split Hammer throws Gold 2009 Split Hammer throw Jeux de la Francophonie Gold 2013 Nice Hammer throw

Anita Włodarczyk, born on August 8, 1985, is a famous Polish athlete who specializes in the hammer throw. This sport involves throwing a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle as far as possible. She is an amazing champion, having won three Olympic gold medals in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Anita is the first woman in history to throw the hammer over 80 meters. She also holds the current women's world record with a throw of 82.98 meters. Many people consider her the greatest female hammer thrower of all time.

In 2016, she was chosen as the Polish Sports Personality of the Year. In 2021, she received a special award called the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta for her incredible achievements in sports.

Włodarczyk (on the left) celebrating her gold medal at the 2017 World Championships with teammate and bronze medalist Malwina Kopron.

Anita's Amazing Career in Hammer Throw

Starting Her Journey in Athletics

Anita Włodarczyk began her journey in athletics by winning her first national championship for athletes under 23 years old in 2007. She then competed in the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships, but she didn't make it past the first round. In 2008, she competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics and finished fourth in the hammer throw.

Later in 2008, Anita earned a bronze medal at the 2008 World Athletics Final. The next year, in 2009, she won her first gold medal at a big international competition, the 2009 European Team Championships.

Anita kept improving her throws. In May 2009, she threw 76.20 meters, which was a new personal best for her. Before the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, she set a new Polish national record by throwing 77.20 meters. This was one of the longest throws ever by a woman at that time.

Breaking the World Record for the First Time

On August 22, 2009, at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany, Anita Włodarczyk made history. She set a new world record with an incredible throw of 77.96 meters! Unfortunately, her season ended early when she twisted her ankle while celebrating.

She returned to competition in April 2010 and easily won her event. On June 6, 2010, she broke her own world record again with a throw of 78.30 meters at a competition in Bydgoszcz. She won a bronze medal at the 2010 European Athletics Championships that year. In 2011, she finished fifth at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics.

Olympic Success and More World Records

In 2012, Anita won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a throw of 77.60 meters. Years later, in 2016, she was officially awarded the gold medal for this event. This happened after another athlete was found to have used banned substances.

In 2014, Anita won the European Championships in Athletics 2014 with a throw of 78.76 meters. This was a new record for the championships and for Poland.

On August 1, 2015, Anita Włodarczyk set another new world record by throwing 81.08 meters. She became the first woman ever to throw the hammer over 80 meters! She then won the gold medal at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, throwing over 80 meters again.

On August 15, 2016, Anita won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She set a new world record during this event with a throw of 82.29 meters. Just two weeks later, on August 28, 2016, she broke her own world record again! She threw an amazing 82.98 meters at a memorial event in Warsaw. Anita often uses some of the equipment that belonged to her friend and fellow hammer thrower, Kamila Skolimowska, as a way to honor her.

Because of her incredible achievements, Anita was named the Track & Field News Athlete of the Year in 2014, 2016, and 2017. She also received the Polish Sportspersonality of the Year Award in 2017. She had an amazing winning streak of 42 competitions that lasted from July 2014.

As of 2020, Anita holds almost all of the top hammer throw results for women. She has 15 of the top 15 throws and 27 out of the top 30!

Winning Three Olympic Gold Medals in a Row

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which took place in 2021, Anita won the hammer throw event with a throw of 78.48 meters. This was a historic win! Anita Włodarczyk is the only woman ever to win this event three times in a row at the Olympic Games. In the men's competition, only one athlete, John Flanagan, has achieved this.

With her three Olympic gold medals, Anita is one of the most successful Polish athletes in Olympic history. She ranks third among all Polish athletes who have won multiple medals at the Summer Olympics.

Awards and Special Honors

Anita Włodarczyk has received many awards and honors for her outstanding achievements in sports:

• Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, 2009
• Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, 2016
• Polish Sports Personality of the Year awarded by the Przegląd Sportowy magazine, 2016
• Honorary Citizen of her hometown, Rawicz, 2016
• Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta, 2021
• In 2021, the toy company Mattel created a special Shero Barbie doll in Anita Włodarczyk's image. This doll was made to celebrate her as an "inspiration to others" to follow their dreams. She was the third Polish woman to have a Barbie doll made after her.

International Competitions: A Look at Her Medals

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
2007	European U23 Championships	Debrecen, Hungary	9th	63.74 m
2008	European Winter Throwing Cup	Split, Croatia	1st	71.84 m
	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	4th	71.56 m
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	3rd	70.97 m
2009	European Team Championships	Leiria, Portugal	1st	75.23 m
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	77.96 m
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	3rd	73.56 m
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	5th	73.56 m
2012	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1st	74.29 m
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	1st	77.60 m
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	1st	78.46 m
	Jeux de la Francophonie	Nice, France	1st	75.62 m
2014	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	1st	78.76 m
	Continental Cup	Marrakesh, Morocco	1st	75.21 m
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	1st	80.85 m
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	1st	78.14 m
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	82.29 m OR
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	1st	77.90 m
2018	Athletics World Cup	London, United Kingdom	1st	78.74 m
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	78.94 m
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	1st	78.48 m
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	13th (q)	71.17 m
2024	European Championships	Rome, Italy	2nd	72.92 m
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	4th	74.23 m

See also

In Spanish: Anita Włodarczyk para niños

• Sport in Poland
• List of Polish records in athletics
• List of Polish track and field athletes