Christina Obergfoll, widely considered as one of the greatest Javelin throwers of all time, has retired after securing victory in front of her home crowd Berlin.
In what was billed as a farewell meet for the 35-year-old German, Obergfoll’s throw of 64.28 meters secured a final victory in what was a glittering career, in a period of high competition in the Women’s javelin.
Her retirement comes just days after fellow Javelin thrower, and German, Linda Stahl retired following the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Obergfoll's personal best of 70.20-meters, set in 2007, makes her the fourth longest thrower of all time.
Career highlights
After an uneventful junior career, Obergfoll burst onto the scene at the 2005 World Championships where she set what was then a new European Record of 70.03m to get the silver medal.
Another silver medal followed at the World Championships in 2007 before she won her first Olympic medal by finishing third in Beijing, behind Barbora Spotakova and Mariya Abakumova.
She missed out on a medal at the 2011 World Championships, though she won silver medals at the European Championships in 2010 and 2012, as well as winning the silver medal at the London Olympic games, finishing behind Spotakova.
However, it was the final medal of her career that was the most special, as she final captured that elusive gold, winning the World Championships in Moscow with a throw of 69.05m. She finished fourth in the World Championships in Beijing and eighth in Rio.
Her final competition
The German had previously announced that the meet would be her final competition, and beforehand spoke to German sports website bz-berlin.de.
“I want to enjoy the last competition, no goals, no positions are important. I chose Berlin because the atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium is unique.”
“It is strange to know that officially I pick up the spear for the last time on Saturday. It will be very emotional. But at the same time, I am pleased because then I have more time for my son.”
On Saturday, Obergfoll finished her career on a high. In a field including new Olympic Champion Sara Kolak, the German’s throw of 64.28m was enough to secure a final victory in what was an exceptional career.
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