 Ruckstuhl in 2007 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women'sathletics | ||
Representingthe Netherlands | ||
| World Indoor Championships | ||
 | 2006 Moscow | Pentathlon |
| European Championships | ||
| 2006 Gothenburg | Heptathlon |
| European Indoor Championships | ||
 | 2007 Birmingham | Pentathlon |
Karin Nathalie Ruckstuhl (born 2 November 1980 inBaden, Switzerland) is a former Dutchheptathlete.
Her first major championship was the2002 European Athletics Championships, and she finished 13th in the heptathlon. She came close to the podium at the2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships, finishing fourth, and took part in her first Olympics at the2004 Athens Games, where she was 16th in the final rankings with a national record of 6108 points. She again just fell short of the podium with a fourth place at the2005 European Athletics Indoor Championships and was eighth outdoors at the2005 World Championships in Athletics later that season.
The 2006 season was a breakthrough for Ruckstuhl – she wonsilver medals at the2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the2006 European Athletics Championships inGothenburg. Her new record performance of 6423 points at the European Championships (aDutch record) meant that she was ranked fourth in the world in the heptathlon that year.[1] She also improved indoors, registering a national record of 4801 points in thewomen's pentathlon for thebronze medal at the2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships. However, she did not manage to finish the heptathlon at that year's major competition – the2007 World Championships in Athletics.
She suffered aherniated disc in her back and underwent surgery in 2008. Her time out from the sport was extended even further after she injured herAchilles tendon in February 2010. Following such serious injuries and some two and a half years away from top level competition, she decided to stop competing in multi-sport events and focused her efforts on justlong jumping.[2]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | KNAU Cup 2004 | Succeeded byas Women'sDutch Athlete of the Year |
| Preceded by | Women'sDutch Athlete of the Year 2006 | Succeeded by |
