Kate Schmidt

Kathryn Joan "Kate" Schmidt (born December 29, 1953 in Long Beach , California ) is a former American athlete . She won two medals in Olympics.

Career

The 1.86 m tall and 80 kg athlete was nicknamed "Kate the Great". She started for the Los Angeles Track Club . After finishing her active career, she worked for a while as a thrower trainer at Occidental College in Los Angeles . Today she runs a gym.

Records

On September 11, 1977 in Fürth , Kate Schmidt managed a litter of 59.32 m, with which she exceeded the 14-month-old world record set by Ruth Fuchs from the GDR by 20 cm. The record survived the 1978 season before Ruth Fuchs improved it again in June 1979 by 20 cm to 69.52 m. As a US national record, however, it lasted for more than 25 years.

Kate Schmidt's record series is impressive:

• 61.12 m, June 28, 1972, Valencia
• 62.64 m, March 3, 1973, Valencia
• 63.36 m, May 26, 1973, Modesto
• 63.42 m, Jun 2, 1973, Berkeley
• 63.78 m, May 31, 1975, Westwood
• 63.88 m, Jun 21, 1975, White Plains
• 65.68 m, March 6, 1976, Long Beach
• 66.52 m, June 12, 1976, Westwood
• 69.32 m, September 11, 1977, Fürth

Competition successes

In 1972 and 1976 she won the US Olympic Games elimination. In 1972 in Munich , the only 18-year-old achieved her best distance of 59.94 m in the first attempt. She was rewarded with the bronze medal behind the two GDR athletes Ruth Fuchs (gold with 63.88 m) and Jacqueline Todten (silver with 62.54 m). Her second best distance of 59.84 m would have been enough for bronze as the fourth-placed, Bulgarian Ljutwijan Mollowa , only threw 59.36 m.

Four years later, at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Schmidt had to climb a good four meters for the same placement. At first things didn't go well for her: the first two throws were invalid, and the next two ended up below the 60-meter mark before the fifth attempt was invalid again. But then she had the big hit: with 63.96 m she could not come close to the again victorious Ruth Fuchs (gold with 65.94 m) and the West German Marion Becker (silver with 64.70 m), but left with dead and Sabine Sebrowski two GDR throwers behind them.

Schmidt was also able to qualify for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, but had to forego a start because the USA boycotted the Games. Four years later she missed the Olympic qualification as fourth in the trials.

Between 1969 and 1979 she won the state championship seven times. In 1973 and 1975 she was successful at the Universiade . With throws of 60.34 m and 60.32 m, she won the silver medal in Moscow and Rome .

Awards

Kate Schmidt has been inducted into several Halls of Fame:

• USATF National Track and Field Hall of Fame (1994)
• National Throws Coaches Hall of Fame
• Hall of Fame, California State University, Long Beach ( CSULB )
• Long Beach City College Hall of Fame ( LBCC )
• Woodrow Wilson High School Hall of Fame (Long Beach)

Web links

• Kate Schmidt in the database of Sports-Reference (English; archived from the original )
• USATF - Hall of Fame (English)