Winger, 36, produces best throw since 2019 to secure crown in 18th and final appearance for U.S. national team in Bahamas, contributing to meet records of 29 golds and 65 total medals at three-day event; Brown, Holt, Jager, MacLean and women’s 4×400 also set all-time championship marks for Americans
By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor
The final chapter of the exceptional career of Kara Winger added another memorable milestone Sunday at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Open Championships at Grand Bahama Stadium in Freeport.
Not only did the 36-year-old Winger become a two-time NACAC champion for the United States in the women’s javelin in her 18th opportunity to represent the national team, but she also surpassed her own 2015 meet record, producing the best throw following her second ACL surgery in 2020 with a second-round effort of 212 feet, 2 inches (64.68m).
Winger, who achieved the meet record 197-11 (60.34m) winning in 2015 in Costa Rica, highlighted the final day of competition for the Americans, who captured 10 more gold medals and 24 overall.
Ariana Ince, the 2018 javelin winner for the U.S. and Winger’s close friend, captured silver with a throw of 195-9 (59.68m) and Rhema Otabor of the Bahamas achieved bronze with a 190-foot mark (57.91m).
Despite winning the title, giving her three international gold medals including the 2019 Pan American Games crown as well as her World Championships silver July 22 at Hayward Field, Winger has already confirmed she will not take advantage of earning the World Athletics qualifying standard for next year’s global meet in Hungary like all the other individual winners in the Bahamas.
Winger is retiring from competition following an upcoming trip to Europe, which she hopes culminates Sept. 8 at the Diamond League final in Zurich, Switzerland.Â
The U.S. finished the three-day event with a NACAC record 29 gold medals, surpassing their own performances of 28 titles in 2007 in El Salvador, along with 2015 in San Jose.
The Americans also accumulated 65 overall medals, eclipsing their previous NACAC all-time mark of 61 from 2018 in Canada.
The U.S. added six more meet records, amassing 15 total at the meet, along with winning the inaugural mixed 4×400 relay Friday.
Although the Americans swept both 4×100 and 4×400 titles Sunday, the only championship record among the four victories came from Kaylin Whitney, Kyra Jefferson, A’Keyla Mitchell and Jaide Stepter-Baynes in the 4×400, clocking 3:23.54 to…
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