Kathrin Klaas -3x Olympian speaks to O’Hara Fitness Athletes

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kathrin Klaas, 3times Olympian Hammer Thrower from German and member of the Eintracht Frankfurt Team.  Katrin has an all time record of a 76.05m Hammer Throw and is still actively competing and is currently training for the European Championship this spring.

Our new “Speaking with Athletes” program is really picking up and we are extremely excited to launch our first interview with such a highly successful athletes.  I’d advice all athletes, especially our throwers, to follow Kathrin on Instagram and YouTube and keep a close eye on the hard work an athlete at this level puts out.  Huge thanks to Kathrin for taking the time out to help us, stay tuned for the next interview as we build a large database for young athletes to go to and learn from the top competitors in the world.


Good luck this August in Berlin when you compete at the 2018 European Championship!

1: How did you get started in your Sport?

In Germany every school does what is called „Bundesjugendspiele“ once a year. It translates to "federal youth games“. The name is rather old but it still does the job. Most of the time they are held in t&f , sometimes in swimming or gymnastics depending on the region. I was seven when I came home and told my dad that I jumped 3m into a sand pit and was the fastest girl that day in the 50m dash. He asked if I wanted to do this kind of sport more often and in a club. Thats when I started doing t&f in a small club near my home town. I grew older doing all the events kids do and when I turned 11 a coach introduced me to hammer throwing. I started with light hammers and a lot of technical drills first. My favorite event was hurdles though. I did both events parallel until I turned 17 and switched from junior hurdle distances to the women`s 100m race. 

2: What was a major struggle for your training and/or success

I had two tough years with injuries and set-backs. In September 2016 I had a hernia surgery and I must have walked around, trained fully and competed at the European Championships and the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games with it. All I felt was that I wasn`t able to generate the speed I normally was known for. In the end it took half a year and many visists at different doctors and physio therapists to find the issue. 

The preparation time in the winter of 2015/2016 was extraordinary. I pr’d in many lifts and with different training hammers as well. In April I threw 76+ in training which I had never done before in my life so early in the season. Then all of a sudden all the results broke down. I had felt something like pop in my groin area lifting one time but I never would have concluded it to be a broken hernia. 

3: What is your current goal 

Since October I am preparing for the European Championships in Berlin in August this year. I am excited to come back to one of the most exciting circles in der world and a stadium where I first became a medal contender. My goal is to stay healthy and keep track until August. In the last season of my carreer I would like to show that I still have some good throws inside. 

4:  What advice would you give a young athlete

Do not let anybody tell you what you cannot do. Be honest to yourself and keep track. Dare to commit yourself to a higher goal that might seem far away and impossible to reach. Allow yourself to fail but get up again. Be good to yourself and never stop asking questions. 

Hammer is not an easy event. There are many ups and downs, technical problems, coordinative issues -  set-backs when team mates (in other events) march from PR to PR. Hammer takes longer but for those sticking with it, those with a strong mind eager to take on the challenge, it will pay off in one of these magical circles around the world in a sold-out stadium. 

5:  Where do you rank Nutrition as a factor for success

Nutrition is one of the main keys. Its the fuel our bodies run on, its the material our cells are built from. Quality clean food means strong, durable, capable cells, tendons and muscles. Eating mainly plant-based accompanied with meat meat (chicken/beef) once or twice per week and getting rid of dairy products, made me feel much fresher, more awake throughout the day. 

When I started to gather more and more information about nutrition related to athletic performance my body started to shape towards the athletic figure I always wanted to have. I became more self-confident and was able to walk into the competition circle with broad shoulders and my chin up. One leads to the other.