Barbora Špotáková

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Barbora Špotáková

Barbora Špotáková
Personal information
Born (1981-06-30) 30 June 1981
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 12 in)
Weight 80 kg (180 lb)
Sport
Country  Czech Republic
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Javelin
Updated on 11 August 2012.

Barbora Špotáková (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbarbora ˈʃpotaːkovaː]) (born 30 June 1981 in Jablonec nad Nisou) is a Czech javelin thrower. She is the current Olympic champion, as well as the world record holder.

Career

Špotáková was an All-American at the University of Minnesota[1] and won the silver medal at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg.

Špotáková improved the Czech national record (previously 66.21 m held by herself since 2006) twice in the final of the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. She took an early lead for 66.40 m in the first attempt and secured the gold medal in the third attempt (67.07 m) before German Christina Obergföll (66.46 m). Špotáková became the seventh woman in the world to reach the 67 m mark. More importantly, she became the Olympic winner in 2008 with her last throw, 71.42 m, which then was the new European record.

At the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final on 13 September 2008, Špotáková broke the world record in the first round to win the competition with a throw of 72.28 m.

Špotáková was a heptathlete in her early career, finishing fourth at the 2000 World Junior Championships. Špotáková also won the International Combined Events Meeting in Hexham in 2000 before she went on to study in the USA and specialise in Javelin throwing. She is currently a member of the elite ASO (Armádní sportovní oddíl, Army Sport Group) of Dukla Prague. Until the end of the 2010 season she was coached by Rudolf Černý, who led her from a national elite level heptathlete to the World Record in the Women's Javelin. Prior to the 2011 season it was announced that Jan Železný would take over as her coach.[2] At the end of 2010 she won the Czech federation's annual poll for "Athlete of the year" for the fourth year in a row.[2] Then she won it again in 2011, making it five years in a row. Barbora Špotáková is consecutive winner of 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics.

Špotáková gave birth to a son in the Spring of 2013 and is currently on maternity leave.

Achievements

Year Tournament Venue Result Event
2000 World Junior Championships Santiago, Chile 4th Heptathlon
5689 points
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 23rd 58.20 m
2005 Universiade İzmir, Turkey 1st 60.73 m
World Athletics Final Monte Carlo, Monaco 5th 61.60 m
2006 European Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 2nd 66.12 m PB
World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 1st 66.21 m NR
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 1st 67.07 m NR
World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 1st 67.12 m NR
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 1st 71.42 m ER
World Athletics Final Stuttgart, Germany 1st 72.28 m WR
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 2nd 66.42 m
World Athletics Final Thessaloniki, Greece 2nd 63.45 m
2010 European Championships Barcelona, Spain 3rd 65.36 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 2nd 71.58 m
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st 69.55 m

References

  1. Deutsch, Brian (2 July 2008), "Gophers assistant coach punches Olympic ticket" The Minnesota Daily
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Špotáková crowned Czech athlete of the year for 4th straight year". www.european-athletics.org (European Athletics). 7 November 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2010. 

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Martina Sáblíková
Petra Kvitová
Czech Athlete of the Year
2008
2012
Succeeded by
Martina Sáblíková
Zuzana Hejnová
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