Kate Schmidt

Kathryn Joan "Kate " Smith ( born December 29, 1953 in Long Beach, California ) is a former American track and field athlete. She won two Olympic medals.

Career

The 1.86 m wide and 80 kg athlete was known as "Kate the Great". She started Track Club for Los Angeles. After finishing her playing career she was for a time worked as a thrower coach at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Today she runs a gym.

Records

On September 11, 1977 in Fuerth Kate Schmidt managed a throw of 59.32 meters, with whom she surpassed the 14 months old world record by Ruth Fuchs from the GDR by 20 cm. The record survived the 1978 season, before Ruth Fuchs corrected him again in June 1979 by 20 cm to 69.52 m. However, as a U.S. national record he had more than 25 years of existence.

The record series by Kate Schmidt is impressive:

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

Competition success

In the years 1972 and 1976, she won the Olympic excretion. At the games in Munich in 1972 succeeded the 18 -year-old her best distance of 59.94 meters in the very first attempt. She was rewarded with the bronze medal behind the two East German athletes Ruth Fuchs ( gold with 63.88 m) and Jacqueline dead (Silver with 62.54 m). Their second-best distance of 59.84 meters would have been enough for bronze, as the fourth-placed, the Bulgarian Liutvian Mollova, only 59.36 m threw.

Four years later at the Olympic Games in Montreal Kate Schmidt had to be increased for the same position by a good four meters. First, it was not good for them: The first two litters were invalid, and the following two landed below the 60 -meter mark before the fifth trial was invalid again. But then she managed the big hit: With 63.96 m she was able to turn to the victorious Ruth Fuchs ( gold with 65.94 m) and the German Federal Marion Becker ( silver with 64.70 m ) does not come close, but left with Jaqueline Hein and Sabine Sebrowski two DDR -throwers behind.

Also for the Games in Moscow in 1980 Kate Schmidt was qualified, but was without a start, as the U.S. boycotted the games. Four years later, she missed the Olympic qualifying in fourth of the trials.

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

Awards

Kate Schmidt has been included in several Halls of Fame:

East Germany Modesto, California Berkeley, California
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