View source for Karin Smith

{{Short description|American javelin thrower (born 1955)}}
{{for|similarly named British politician|Karin Smyth}}

'''Karin Kiefer Smith''' (born August 4, 1955, in [[Fürstenfeldbruck]], [[Bavaria]]) is a retired female [[javelin throw]]er from the [[United States]]. She was born in [[Germany]]. She is a three-time Olympian. Smith qualified for a fourth, the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, but was unable to compete due to the [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott]]. She did, however, receive one of 461 [[List of Congressional Gold Medal recipients|Congressional Gold Medal]]s created especially for the spurned athletes.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Caroccioli|first1=Tom|last2=Caroccioli|first2=Jerry|title=Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games|year=2008|publisher=New Chapter Press|location=Highland Park, IL|isbn=978-0942257403|pages=243–253}}</ref>

Her all-time career-best mark was 212 feet, 6 inches in August 1980.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 25, 1981 |title=Poly adds javelin star |pages=B4 |work=San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ahrendes |first=Vern |date=April 9, 1981 |title=Former Olympian debuts at Cal Poly |pages=9 |work=Mustang Daily}}</ref>

==Early life and college success==
After graduating from [[La Jolla High School]], Smith initially attended [[UCLA Bruins track and field|UCLA]] before leaving to train in Germany in 1977.

Smith then returned to college, enrolling at [[California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo|Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo]]. While at [[Cal Poly Mustangs|Cal Poly]], she won the Broderick Award (now the [[Honda Sports Award]]) as the nation's best female collegiate track and field competitor in 1982.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gopoly.com/insideathletics/hof/Smith_Karin?view=bio|title=Cal Poly|website=Cal Poly|language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.collegiatewomensportsawards.com/archives/trackfield|title=Track & Field|website=CWSA|language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}</ref>

With Smith leading the way, the Mustangs won the 1981 [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women|AIAW]] Division II national championship and then repeated at the first [[NCAA Division II Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships|NCAA D-II national finals]] meet in 1982.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wallner |first=Peter J. |date=June 18, 1992 |title=Trials culmination of work for local athletes |pages=B2 |work=San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune}}</ref> During an era when Division II winners could then also compete at the Division I meets, Smith won the NCAA Division I javelin individual national championship<ref>{{Cite book |last=Woolum |first=Janet |title=Outstanding Women Athletes |publisher=Oryx Press |year=1998 |isbn=9781573561204 |pages=375 |language=English}}</ref> on June 4, 1982 with a mark of 206 feet, 9 inches, which held the all-time event record with the previous design.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 5, 1982 |title=Smith first at NCAA meet |pages=B1 |work=San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune}}</ref><ref>2021 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Record Book</ref>

==International competitions==
{| {{AchievementTable|nation=USA}}
|-
|1976
|[[Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Olympic Games]]
|[[Montréal, Canada]]
|8th
|57.50 m
|-
|1983
|[[1983 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Helsinki, Finland]]
|10th
|59.76 m 
|-
|1984
|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Olympic Games]]
|[[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, United States]]
|8th
|62.06 m  
|-
|1988
|[[Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw|Olympic Games]]
|[[Seoul, South Korea]]
|20th
|57.94 m
|-
|1990
|[[1990 Goodwill Games|Goodwill Games]]
|[[Seattle]], [[United States]]
|bgcolor="cc9966" | 3rd
|[[Athletics at the 1990 Goodwill Games|58.94 m]]
|-
|1991
|[[1991 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Tokyo, Japan]]
|13th
|60.34 m
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/karin-smith-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417190929/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sm/karin-smith-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |title=Karin Smith}}

{{Footer US NC Javelin Women}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1976 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1988 Summer Olympics}}
{{Honda Sports Award}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Karin}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Fürstenfeldbruck (district)]]
[[Category:Athletes from Upper Bavaria]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from California]]
[[Category:American women javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Cal Poly Mustangs women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins women's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Congressional Gold Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Goodwill Games medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:FISU World University Games silver medalists for the United States]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1981 Summer Universiade]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1990 Goodwill Games]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportswomen]]


{{US-javelinthrow-athletics-bio-stub}}