Hanging up their boots is never easy for any athlete, especially if they think they still have some fight left in them. For American record holder Kara Winger, the calling to represent the country on the biggest stage also seems to be an ambition that quite hasn’t left her yet. With that, the javelin maestro is set to return to action this weekend for the New York Grand Prix, and she has eyes to do it with the aid of an old friend for her spot in the team for the Paris Olympics 2024.

When Winger finished on the podium at the 2022 World Championships, many fans were overjoyed because her final international meet went excellently. However, only months later, she surpassed the performance and bagged an American record at the Brussels Diamond League. And now, she looks to be en route to bring more happiness to her fans.

After a two-year break, Kara is fixated on ending her career with a bang! Looking for one last ride, the PanAm Games gold medalist was spotted at the Olympics and Paralympics Museum in Colorado Springs recently, trying to retrieve her trusted sidekick. “After retiring in 2022, American record holder @karathrowsjav decided she wanted to go for one more Olympic Games… which meant she had to grab her lucky javelin that she donated to the @usopmuseum.” informs a recent Instagram post by Team USA.

“I decided to throw javelin one more time, and I need my lucky javelin to do so,” Winger was heard saying in an accompanying video that came with the post. The 70-meter Nemeth was first used for an American record by Winger in 2010 (66.67m) and was again used for her personal best of 68.11m, which she set in 2022, months after suffering a torn ACL.

Kara was seen unlocking the javelin from its stand in the post, as emotions made her let out a gleeful smile as she was reunited with her trusted buddy. She also revealed that the tip of the javelin broke after continued use in 2017, but she wasn’t keen on letting it go and had it fixed. With her return being imminent, Kara also talked about what motivated her to make the trek back to the field once again as well.

Winger looked for inspiration everywhere for the Paris Olympics 2024

“I didn’t retire because I was injured, I retired because I got everything I wanted,” said Winger. “I’m trying to manufacture that again“, said the four-time Olympic team member about how deadlines help her to dig deep and find the yearning to do well in competitions. She also said that the younger generation of athletes who have already qualified for the Olympics motivated and inspired her to the extent that she wanted to be a part of the action once again.

The 2024 New York Grand Prix will commence at the Icahn Stadium this Saturday, and the two-time American record holder has a very short message for her opponents: “I’m back.” With the team trails also arriving later this month, it remains to be seen if having a familiar friend in her hand will help Kara get her name on the flight list for Paris, or if her grand return dreams are halted by the rise of young blood.