 Barbora Špotáková | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1981-06-30)30 June 1981 (age 44) |
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] |
| Weight | 80 kg (176 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Javelin throw |
Medal record | |
Barbora Špotáková (Czech pronunciation:[ˈbarboraˈʃpotaːkovaː]; born 30 June 1981) is a former Czechtrack and field athlete who competed in thejavelin throw. She is a two-timeOlympic Champion and three-timeWorld Champion, as well as thecurrent world record holder with a throw of 72.28m.
Špotáková was aheptathlete in her early career, finishing fourth at the2000 World Junior Championships. She also won the International Combined Events Meeting in Hexham in 2000 before she went on to study in the US and specialise in Javelin throwing. In September 2004, Špotáková scored 6749 points at awomen's decathlon inTalence to set aCzech record in the event.[2][3]
She was anAll-American during her one season at theUniversity of Minnesota in 2001–02,[4][5] and won the silvermedal at the2006 European Championships inGothenburg.
Špotáková improved the Czech national record (previously 66.21 m held by herself since 2006) twice in the final of the2007 World Championships inOsaka. 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 GermanChristina Obergföll (66.46 m). Špotáková became the seventh woman in the world to reach the 67 m mark. At the2008 Olympics, she won the gold medal, taking the lead with her last throw, 71.42 m, which set a new European record. At the2008 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 levelheptathlete to theWorld Record in theWomen's Javelin. Prior to the 2011 season it was announced thatJan Železný would take over as her coach.[6]At the end of 2010 she won theCzech Athletics Federation's annual poll for "Athlete of the year" for the fourth year in a row.[6] Then she won it again in 2011, making it five years in a row. She won her second Olympic gold medal at the2012 London Olympics.
Špotáková gave birth to a son in May 2013 and did not compete at theworld championships inMoscow later that year.[7] In 2014, she won theEuropean Championships inZurich, Switzerland, with a throw of 64.41 m.[8]
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.[9]
Špotáková was born inJablonec nad Nisou, later she moved toPrague. Since 2014, she has been living inUnhošť.[9][10]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 mPB | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 66.21 mNR | ||
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 67.07 mNR | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 67.12 mNR | ||
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 1st | 71.42 mAR | |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 72.28 mWR | ||
| 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[a] | |
| 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 | |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's javelin european record holder 21 August 2008 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Women's javelin world record holder 13 September 2008 – present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Czech Athlete of the Year 2008 2012 | Succeeded by |
|
|
European Athletics Championships champions in women'sjavelin throw | |
|---|---|
|
|
World University Games champions in women'sjavelin throw | |
|---|---|
|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
