Emilia Dragieva

Emilia Dragieva (Bulgarian: Емилия Драгиева, née Petkanova (Петканова); born 11 January 1965) is a Bulgarian former track and field athlete who specialised in the high jump. Her personal best was 2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in), which she set while winning her sole international medal – a bronze at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Emilia Dragieva
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Bulgaria
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place1987 IndianapolisHigh jump

Career

Dragieva emerged during a period of very high quality Bulgarian women high jumpers. At the 1986 Bulgarian Athletics Championships she placed third with a mark of 1.85 m (6 ft 3⁄4 in) behind Stefka Kostadinova and Svetlana Isayeva – at this meet Kostadinova equalled the then-women's high jump world record of 2.07 m (6 ft 9+1⁄4 in) (matching the feat of yet another Bulgarian Lyudmila Andonova).[1] Dragieva improved her own best to 1.93 m (6 ft 3+3⁄4 in) in Stara Zagora.[2]

Dragieva made her international debut at a major tournament at the 1987 European Athletics Indoor Championships and she placed seventh with her best jump of 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in).[2] She reached the peak of her career shortly after at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships. She cleared 2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) in the final to take the bronze medal behind fellow Bulgarian Kostadinova and Germany's Susanne Beyer.[3] This performance ranked her third in the world indoors that year.[4] Her jump was also the best ever indoors by a European under-23 athlete. This record lasted until 2002, when Marina Kuptsova improved it by three centimetres.[5]

Despite the promise shown in the 1987 season, she only major one further appearance for Bulgaria at a high-profile event, coming fifth at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships with a mark of 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in).[2] Her career best of two metres marked her as the best jumper on a height basis – at 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) tall her personal best was 32 centimetres greater than her height. Greek jumper Niki Bakoyianni improved this differential by a centimetre in 1996, clearing a height 33 centimetres greater than her height.[6]

After retiring from competition she remained involved in the sport and was the venue co-ordinator for the 2015 European Team Championships events that were held in Stara Zagora.[7]

International competitions
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
1987 European Indoor Championships Liévin, France 7th High jump 1.88 m
World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 3rd High jump 2.00 m
1988 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 5th High jump 1.91 m

References
  1. Giovanni Baldini, Ottavio Castellini & Marco Martini. Il “ventrale” bellezza di un gesto che fu arte prima di essere sport. IAAF. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
  2. Emilia Dragieva. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
  3. World Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
  4. World Top Performers 1980-2006: Women (Indoor). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
  5. European Under 23 All-Time Lists (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
  6. Alltime list in jump above own height Archived April 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Stefan Holm. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
  7. 2015 European Team Championships 2nd League Team Manual. European Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-11-05.
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