Blanka Vlašić

Blanka Vlašić

Early life

Blanka Vlašić was born on November 8, 1983, in Split, Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia. She began competing in high jump at the age of 14. In 2000, she won the bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile.

Career

Vlašić made her Olympic debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She finished in 12th place. In 2002, she won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich, Germany. She also won the gold medal at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris, France.

In 2004, Vlašić again competed at the Summer Olympics, this time in Athens, Greece. She won the silver medal, finishing behind Yelena Slesarenko of Russia. In 2007, she won the gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan.

In 2008, Vlašić competed at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She won the gold medal, becoming the first Croatian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics. She also set a new world record of 2.08 meters.

In 2009, Vlašić won the gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany. She also won the Diamond League title. In 2010, she won the gold medal at the European Championships in Barcelona, Spain. She also won the Diamond League title again.

In 2011, Vlašić won the gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea. She also won the Diamond League title again. In 2012, she competed at the Summer Olympics in London, England. She finished in third place, winning the bronze medal.

In 2013, Vlašić won the gold medal at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. She also won the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Mersin, Turkey. In 2014, she won the gold medal at the European Championships in Zurich, Switzerland.

In 2015, Vlašić won the gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics in Beijing, China. She also won the Diamond League title again. In 2016, she competed at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She finished in fourth place.

Personal life

Vlašić is married to Croatian basketball player Željko Pavličević. They have one daughter, named Blanka.

Awards and honors

• Croatian Sportsperson of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015)
• European Athlete of the Year (2007, 2008, 2009)
• IAAF World Athlete of the Year (2007, 2008)
• Order of Danica Hrvatska (2008)
• Order of Ante Starčević (2016)