Caroline Wittrin - Canadian Record Holder - Women's Hammer Throw

As many already know, hammer is considered the "black sheep" of the track family and quite often gets very little respect. It is regularly placed outside of the regular meet schedule, and it is often placed outside of most stadiums. This is doubly the case for women's hammer as it also gets very little attention due to its exclusion from most major international events. For those who meander by, accidentally, or on purpose, they usually will find an intriguing and impressive event. In some ways, being outside of the stadium even has its advantages, as the crowds can sometimes get a closer look at the event and the interaction afterwards can be quite worthwhile. The problem is the lack of exposure by being place so far away from the action of the track. This prevents a lot of attention the event would otherwise receive.

In Canada, this obscure event is experiencing its own quiet, but fairly large, revolution. It now probably provides the deepest fields in all of the throws at most events.. There is no doubt about its growing popularity and it is no accident that a number of women are now on the brink of becoming world class throwers. It is also probably the only women's throwing event to be at this stage right now. The participation has been on the rise and the quality of the event has grown and is growing significantly. CanThrow had the opportunity of catching up with one of these throwers, Canadian Record holder Caroline Wittrin, and she kindly agreed to the interview that follows.

Caroline was born on December 10 1968 and presently lives in Vancouver B.C. with her husband Lorenz Bruechert where she is presently a secondary school teacher of science and physical education.

CanThrow: How has your career choice affected your training regime?

Caroline: There are great advantages to working as a teacher and being an athlete. One is that I have summer's off, which is when most of my competitions take place. The other is that I will be able to take time off in the event that I qualify for International meets. The disadvantages are that I don't have much time daily to train (usually only 2-3 hours), and that the stresses that come with the job often consume my mental focus. It also leaves little time for relaxing or spending down time by myself. Often I crash and burn in my athletic performance in May and June due to the increased stress and workload at that time of year.

CanThrow:Did you compete in Track and field in high school?

Caroline:Only during my senior years. I was afraid that the track coach would make me run long distances, so I didn't join before that.

CanThrow: What events?

Caroline: When I finally attended my first track practice, I went out for sprints since I had always performed well in anything powerful in elementary school. The sprints coach proceeded to make us run long distances, so I immediately turned around and went back to the school. Along the way, I saw the throwers practicing and thought I'd give that a try. Within 3 weeks I won the city championships in shot put, discus and javelin.

CanThrow: What got you involved in hammer?

Caroline: Around 1988 while attending Simon Fraser University, I played around with the hammer while being coached by Fred Sommer. At that time it was just getting going as an event for women, but we weren't really taking it seriously. My main focus was discus, and I was still throwing a bit of shot put. In my first meet I threw 41m off one turn, which was the first official recorded distance in B.C. After that I didn't train with the hammer until 1993, and that was only because I was experiencing a real slump with discus. Hammer seemed like a fun thing to do at the time - something that would hopefully rejuvenate my interest in throwing.

CanThrow: A conversation with you in 1994 revealed that you were in the midst of changing coaches. Who was your previous coach and who now coaches you?

Caroline: I was coached for only a short period of time by Rob McManus, and then switched to Mike Cairns.

CanThrow: Do you credit this change with your steady improvement since this time?

Caroline: Mike really taught me the event, and I would definitely not be where I am today if it weren't for him. Mike's knowledge of the event is amazing, and he has a great eye for technical errors. His own experience goes back a long way - he competed in the 60's and 70's and then coached the likes of Scott Nielson and Murray Keating - the only two male hammer throwers in Canada who ever qualified for the Olympics since the advent of the "modern" hammer. Mike gave me a new perspective on throwing, particularly that in order to succeed there has to be way more emphasis on specific technical work rather than such a heavy emphasis on physical fitness. All those years throwing discus I was strong and fit, but wondered why I wasn't going anywhere in the event. I didn't spend nearly enough time actually throwing, and that was the key.

CanThrow: Teresa Brick has been heralded as a pioneer of early development in women's hammer. Do you agree that you are going to be one of the pioneers that help take Canadian women's hammer to the next level?

Caroline: Yes! I'm hoping to be the first Canadian woman over 60m. In my track club there are numerous young female hammer throwers, and I would hope to be a source of inspiration to these developing athletes. I believe that with the knowledge I have gained as a n athlete and coach, I will someday be able to share this information with other. The only way we can revive technical events such as the hammer and pole vault is by accessing people who really know it, rather than re-inventing the wheel on our own.

CanThrow: The number and quality of Canadian women hammer throwers is rising. What do you see as the biggest factor in this development?

Caroline: Part of the reason is the recognition of the event at the National and International levels, which provides young athletes with a dream and a goal. The other factor is that coaches are now encouraging young women to try out the event, emphasizing that this is now the time to really make a mark since the event is so new. There is still a need for coaches to learn more about the technique. Getting Canadian women to throw in the 50m. Range is not difficult. Getting them over 60m will require a little more knowledge of the event.

CanThrow: What do you see as your biggest challenges as a female hammer thrower in Canada?

Caroline: Please allow me to whine a bit on this one - since you asked! Attaining unrealistically high standards for making a National team. This is a major roadblock in the throws, and has been for years. If young athletes are not convinced that they will someday be capable of making it on the world scene, how can we hope to keep them in the sport? Women's hammer should not be subjected to high standards at this point in its development. I suppose it would be futile to mention funding since everyone is in a pinch, but it would certainly make a difference. Carding based on men's Mercier table scores is not acceptable. We must look at what women in the rest of the world are throwing. It is also nearly impossible to get the interest of sponsors - being a woman in an obscure event doesn't turn their heads. So we are left to work full time and squeeze in training where we can. This is not what the best in the world are doing. It is also extremely difficult to visualize being challenged in a meet. I have not been exposed to any higher level competition, and it seems like this year I'll be thrown into that experience with no preparation. This is a bit unnerving!

CanThrow: Where do you see women's hammer throwing in Canada in the next year, 5 years, 10 years.

Caroline: I think we will see many women enter the 50m zone this year, and perhaps a handful will enter the 60m range within the next 5 years. I was so impressed that at the Mt. Sac relays this year the top 10 individuals in the Invitational division were over 55m. That is a big leap over last year! They had so many entries that they had to reschedule a different time for half the group. This is a great sign, and I think we are seeing similar things in Canada. I hope we can provide better incentives for Canadian athletes to attend Canadian Universities and stick around for awhile. It does wonders to keep our role models in this country. With more coaching clinics offered, women's hammer will develop still more.

CanThrow: Many consider it a lock that would will be competing at the Commonwealth games in Malaysia. What are your feelings on competing in the first ever women's hammer competition at this event?

Caroline: I am very excited that I will have an opportunity to finally fulfil my dream of competing at an International level. At the same time, I have no idea what to expect, and that makes it hard to prepare for it mentally. It is hard to know what kinds of things will distract me at an event like that, and to visualize being there with a lot spectators.

CanThrow: How long do you plan on competing?

Caroline: At least until the Olympics. If my body holds together, I'll probably pursue it for a long time after that. I'm very competitive! My husband and I are also eager to start a family after 2000 or 2001, so I'll be taking some time off, and then see what happens after that.

CanThrow: Obviously then you plan on trying to compete at the next Olympics providing that they have women's hammer as an event?

Caroline: You bet! That is my ultimate goal.

CanThrow: What are your plans after you finish competing?

Caroline: I'd like to do some coaching, provided we're not living in the country by that time. It would be nice to get back to all those other sports I've put aside for so long and TRY to be a more recreational athlete, and slow down the pace of my life. I had competed at an International level in outrigger paddling at the same time that my hammer throwing was improving, so I had to put that aside too. Hiking, kayaking, painting... They all have been waiting patiently. I'm not a fanatic - I love hammer throwing, but it is very taxing on the body.

CanThrow: What are some of the things that motivate you to stay in the sport, especially in the earlier years of development when women's hammer was not a part of any of the major games?

Caroline: I suppose that like most elite athletes I am very competitive by nature and constantly trying to prove my abilities. That is probably a result of being the youngest of 6 and trying to be noticed! I used to do the sport to try to impress other people, like my coach or my family. Now I do it because I want to challenge myself and see how far I can take this. If I didn't have that drive I wouldn't be here. Hammer throwing is more challenging than any sport I've ever done, and I thrive on that. So it didn't really matter that it wasn't part of any major games for so long. I was too busy trying to better myself!

CanThrow: Could you give a sample of your workouts in a typical week? Strength training and technical.

Caroline: I try to stick to the following:
Sun., Tues., Thurs. - weight training which mostly includes power cleans and front squats, plus some supplemental exercises. Usually 2 hour sessions.
Sun., Tues. - plyometrics
Mon., Thurs. - medicine ball, sprints/agility drills
Mon.,We., Sat. - throws or turns in series
Fri. - OFF
In the late spring and summer there would be more throwing or turning workout - up to 5 per week, and the other training would taper off somewhat. I do give myself breaks when I'm worn out or too sore to train properly - usually every 4th week is a time to unload.

CanThrow: What has been your biggest competitive disappointment to date?

Caroline: Canadian championships in 1995 where I only threw 46m., and all Canadian championsihps prior to that - especially in discus. I always used to choke at big meets. It took a long time to get over that! I needed to believe in myself.

CanThrow: What has been the greatest competitive moment to date?

Caroline: Two come to mind - breaking the Canadian record for the first time at the Mt. Sac relays in April of 1997. I broke my previous PB by 4 metres and won the competition with 58.54m. Then winning the Canadian championships was a real highlight to my season, especially since I bettered my record there. Even recently when I broke my record again at Mt. Sac with 59.23m it wasn't as exciting as the first time. That first 58 was such an anomaly that it gave me faith in my abilities which the other meets didn't.

CanThrow: What do you feel should be Athletics Canada's involvement/role in your development as a thrower?

Caroline: To continue to provide opportunities to compete in higher calibre meets so I can gain more experience in that arena. To provide me with attainable carding standards so I can vigorously pursue my training. To communicate with me directly about any new developments in the sport. I honestly did not know that women's hammer had been accepted into the Commonwealth games until December of 1997, although Athletics Canada knew about it several months earlier. The computer should not be the sole means of communication between Athletics Canada and the Provincial sport body. Much information was not passed on to B.C. Athletics at the time when they weren 't hooked up to the net yet. Too many people assume that other know what's going on when this is not necessarily the case. To also ensure that athletes have appropriate training facilities. Some suggestions could be made to municipalities to include training facilities if they can see how it contributes to the betterment of Canadian athletes. We have very little here in the lower mainland for throwers. Tracks are acceptable, but to be a thrower you have put up with the risk of injuring others in public places, having beautiful circles closed because we make divots in the field and the soccer players wouldn't like it ...oops! Did I say something wrong? No offense, but throwing at 9 a.m. In a meet is kind of a drag when the meet hasn't even started yet. Enough said.

CanThrow: What are your goals for the 1998 outdoor season?

Caroline: To break 60m. And continue to work on my technique. Also to win the Canadian Championships, qualify for the Goodwill Games and the Commonwealth Games, and place in the top 6 in the latter.

CanThrow: What do you feel are your technical strong points?

Caroline: That is a difficult question to answer without getting really technical, but I'll try to keep it simple. My technique is based on one "school of thought" with respect to hammer throwing, and was demonstrated quite effectively by Sergei Litvinov - the Soviet thrower. I attempt to perform aspects of that technique, primarily focussing on allowing the hammer to swing completely through on each turn by giving it impetus with a long but striking right foot movement in the double support phase. I also include a vertical "drop" on the single support phase in response to that - or what some would refer to as a "counter" movement. I do not drag or pull the hammer as some people do. Technically I have really got the swing down pretty well, and still struggle somewhat with the drop.

CanThrow: What would you consider your technical weak points?