Kara Estelle Winger (née Patterson; born April 10, 1986) is an American track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She is the American record holder in the javelin throw with a distance of . Career At the 2004 United States Olympic Trials (track and field), Patterson finished 19th with a distance of . In 2005, she won a silver medal at the 2005 Pan Am Junior Games with a distance of . Kara Patterson met her husband Russell Winger when he won the silver medal at the 2006 NACAC U23 Championships in Athletics Shot Put and she placed 7th in the javelin. Winger told this story after placing 2nd the 2019 USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Javelin to champion Ariana Ince. At the 2008 Olympic Trials, Winger won with a distance of 53.93 m. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Winger didn't make it past the qualifying round and finished 41st overall with a distance of 54.39 m. At the 2009 World Trials, Winger won with a distance of 63.95 m. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, Patterson didn't make it past the qualifying round and finished 29th overall with a distance of 52.71 m. At the 2010 US Track and Field Championships, Winger won with a distance of 63.95 m. On June 25, 2010, Patterson broke Kim Kreiner's American record of 64.19 m set in 2007 with a distance of 66.67 m. At the 2011 World Trials, Winger won with a distance of 59.34 m. At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw, Winger threw 57.14 meters 21st place in the prelims. At the 2012 Olympic Trials, Winger earned second place with a distance of 59.79 m. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she finished 31st in the qualifying round, not reaching the final. At the 2013 World Trials, Winger earned third place with a distance of 55.88 m. At the 2014 US Track and Field Championships, Winger won with a distance of 62.43 m. At the 2015 World Trials, Winger won with a distance of 64.94 m. At the 2015 World Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw, Winger threw 62.21 m in the prelims to qualify for the final and 60.88 meters in the final to place 8th. Winger placed 17th with a throw of at Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw. At the 2020 Summer