Karl Hein (11 June 1908 – 10 July 1982) was a German hammer thrower who won a gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

He resumed competing after watching a film about the 1932 Olympics, winning the national championships in 1936–38.

At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Hein won the gold medal in the men's hammer throw competition.

[3] Hein won the British AAA Championships title in the hammer throw event at the 1937 AAA Championships[4][5][6] and in 1938 he set two world records and won the European title.

His son Karl-Peter also competed in the hammer throw, at national level.