Barbora Špotáková

Barbora Špotáková (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbarbora ˈʃpotaːkovaː]; born 30 June 1981) is a former Czech track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. She is a two-time Olympic Champion and three-time World Champion, as well as the current world record holder with a throw of 72.28 m.

Barbora Špotáková
Barbora Špotáková
Personal information
Born (1981-06-30) 30 June 1981
Jablonec nad Nisou, Czechoslovakia
Height1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight80 kg (176 lb)[1]
Sport
Country Czech Republic
SportAthletics
Event(s)Javelin throw
Medal record
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 1
World Championships 3 1 0
European Championships 1 1 2
Continental Cup 1 0 0
Universiade 1 0 0
Total 8 2 3
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2008 BeijingJavelin throw
Gold medal – first place2012 LondonJavelin throw
Bronze medal – third place2016 Rio de JaneiroJavelin throw
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2007 OsakaJavelin throw
Gold medal – first place2011 DaeguJavelin throw
Gold medal – first place2017 LondonJavelin throw
Silver medal – second place2009 BerlinJavelin throw
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2014 ZürichJavelin throw
Silver medal – second place2006 GothenburgJavelin throw
Bronze medal – third place2010 BarcelonaJavelin throw
Bronze medal – third place2022 MunichJavelin throw
Universiade
Gold medal – first place2005 IzmirJavelin throw
Continental Cup
Gold medal – first place2014 MarrakechJavelin throw
Diamond League
Gold medal – first place2010Javelin throw
Gold medal – first place2012Javelin throw
Gold medal – first place2014Javelin throw
Gold medal – first place2015Javelin throw
Gold medal – first place2017Javelin throw

Career

Špotáková was a heptathlete in her early career, finishing fourth at the 2000 World Junior Championships. She 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 was an All-American during her one season at the University of Minnesota in 2001-02,[2][3] 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. At the 2008 Olympics, she won the gold medal, taking the lead with her last throw, 71.42 m, which set a 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.

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.[4] 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.[4] Then she won it again in 2011, making it five years in a row. She won her second Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Špotáková gave birth to a son in May 2013 and did not compete at the world championships in Moscow later that year.[5] In 2014, she won the European Championships in Zürich, Switzerland with a throw of 64.41 m.[6]

Špotáková reunited with her former coach Rudolf Černý in 2015 to train for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where she won the bronze medal with a throw of 64.80m.

On 9 September 2022 Špotáková announced her retirement from professional sport.[7]

Personal life

Špotáková was born in Jablonec nad Nisou, later she moved to Prague. Since 2014, she has been living in Unhošť.[7][8]

Achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing the  Czech Republic
2000 World Junior Championships Santiago, Chile 4th 5689 pts (Heptathlon)
2003 European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 6th 56.65 m
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 AR
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 1st 71.58 m[lower-alpha 1]
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st 69.55 m
2014 European Championships Zurich, Switzerland 1st 64.41 m
IAAF Continental Cup Marrakesh, Morocco 1st 65.52 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 9th 60.08 m
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3rd 64.80 m
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 1st 66.76 m
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 9th 59.87 m
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 14th (q) 60.52 m
2022 European Championships Munich, Germany 3rd 60.68 m

Notes
  1. Gold medal inherited in 2018 after Mariya Abakumova's disqualification for doping.[9]

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Barbora Špotáková". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
  2. Deutsch, Brian (2 July 2008), "Gophers assistant coach punches Olympic ticket" Archived 14 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Minnesota Daily
  3. "Spotakova Set for Olympic Games" Golden Gophers (August 10, 2016)
  4. "Špotáková crowned Czech athlete of the year for 4th straight year". www.european-athletics.org. European Athletics. 7 November 2010. Archived from the original on 10 November 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  5. Butcher, Michael. Bouncing back after giving birth, Spotakova surprises herself on her return. IAAF (24 September 2013). Retrieved on 18 August 2014.
  6. Ramsak, Bob. Spotakova completes her gold collection with European title. IAAF (14 August 2014). Retrieved on 19 August 2014.
  7. "Oštěpařka Barbora Špotáková se v 41 letech loučí s bohatou sportovní kariérou" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  8. "Šťastná atletka Špotáková s rodinou: Tady se bude dělat láska!". isport.blesk.cz (in Czech). 21 September 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  9. Fraňková, Ruth (5 September 2018). "Špotáková to inherit 2011 World Championships title". Radio Prague. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
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