Stefka Kostadinova

Stefka Georgieva Kostadinova (Bulgarian: Стефка Георгиева Костадинова; born 25 March 1965) is a Bulgarian former athlete who competed in the high jump. Her world record of 2.09 metres has stood since 1987. She is the 1996 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion, and a five-time World Indoor champion. She has been the president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee since 2005.[3]

Stefka Kostadinova
Personal information
Native nameСтефка Георгиева Костадинова[1]
Full nameStefka Georgieva Kostadinova[1]
NationalityBulgarian
Born (1965-03-25) 25 March 1965[1]
Plovdiv, Bulgaria[1]
Years active1985–1997
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight60 kg (132 lb)[1]
Sport
Country Bulgaria
SportAthletics
Event(s)High jump
Turned pro1985
Retired1997
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals1st (Atlanta, 1996)
Highest world ranking1st (Rome, 1987)
Personal best(s)High jump
outdoor: 2.09 m (WR)
indoor: 2.06 m[2]
Medal record
Representing  Bulgaria
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1996 Atlanta High jump
Silver medal – second place1988 Seoul High jump
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1987 RomeHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1995 GothenburgHigh jump
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1986 StuttgartHigh jump
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place1985 ParisHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1987 IndianapolisHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1989 BudapestHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1993 TorontoHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1997 ParisHigh jump
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1985 Pireaus High Jump
Gold medal – first place 1987 Liévin High Jump
Gold medal – first place 1988 Budapest High Jump
Gold medal – first place 1994 Paris High Jump
Silver medal – second place 1992 Genoa High Jump

Early career

Born in Plovdiv, Kostadinova went to a specialist sports school, but was only introduced to high jump in a Year Six (12–13-year-olds) athletics meet in Sofia, on a day she is quoted as saying she would never forget (on TransWorldSport interview in 2012).

Career
A plaque on Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria, commemorating Kostadinova's world record of 2.08 m set on 31 May 1986

Kostadinova is the reigning world record holder in the women's high jump at 2.09 m, which she jumped during the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. Her world record is one of the oldest in modern athletics. Altogether Kostadinova set seven world records - three outdoors and four indoors. She also holds the distinction of having jumped over 2.00 m 197 times.

Kostadinova won the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, setting an Olympic record of 2.05 m. She also won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Kostadinova won the outdoor World Championships in 1987 and 1995. She won the World Indoor Championship five times between 1985 and 1997. Kostadinova also won gold in all European Championships in Athletics in which she competed. She was a European outdoor champion in Stuttgart in 1986 and a four-time European indoor champion in 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1994.

Kostadinova was voted Sportsperson of the Year in Bulgaria four times (1985, 1987, 1995 and 1996).

Personal life

In 1995 Kostadinova gave birth to her son, Nikolay, just several months before winning gold in the 1995 World Championships in Athletics. In 1999 she divorced her long-standing husband and coach, Nikolay Petrov. The same year she officially put an end to her athletic career, though she had actually not participated in any major sports competition since the World Indoors Championship in 1997. In 2007 Kostadinova married businessman Nikolai Popvasilev.[4]

Sports administration career

After retiring Kostadinova started a career in sports administration. She has served as vice president of the Bulgarian Athletic Federation, vice president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee and was deputy sports minister of Bulgaria from 2003 through 2005.

On 11 November 2005, Kostadinova was elected president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. She replaced Ivan Slavkov, who was expelled by the International Olympic Committee for violating its standards in ethics.

International competitions
YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing  Bulgaria
1984 Friendship Games Prague, Czechoslovakia 4th 1.93 m
1985 World Indoor Games Paris, France 1st 1.97 m
European Indoor Championships Piraeus, Greece 1st 1.97 m
World Cup Canberra, Australia 1st 2.00 m
1986 Goodwill Games Moscow, Soviet Union 1st 2.03 m
European Championships Stuttgart, Germany 1st 2.00 m
1987 European Indoor Championships Liévin, France 1st 1.97 m
World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 1st 2.05 m
World Championships Rome, Italy 1st 2.09 m WR
1988 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 2.04 m
Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 2nd 2.01 m
1989 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 2.02 m
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 6th 1.93 m
1992 European Indoor Championships Genoa, Italy 2nd 2.02 m
Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 4th 1.94 m
1993 World Indoor Championships Toronto, Canada 1st 2.02 m
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 15th (q) 1.90 m
1994 European Indoor Championships Paris, France 1st 1.98 m
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 1st 2.01 m
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 1st 2.05 m
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 1st 2.02 m

See also

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Stefka Kostadinova". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  2. Stefka Kostadinova's IAAF profile
  3. "Radostin Kishishev opened a new soccer field in kindergarten "Andersen"".
  4. "На тази дата преди 29 г. Стефка Костадинова поставя световен рекорд".
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