Kajsa Bergqvist the biography

Kajsa Bergqvist, Sweden, High Jumper, Athlete - Biography, or Blanka Vlasiè

High Jump Athlete,

Height 175cm

Weight: 59kg

born October 12, 1976 in Sollentuna, Sweden,
Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist is an athlete competing in the high jump. She has won one bronze medal in the Olympic Games, one gold and two bronze medals in the World Championships in Athletics and one gold and one bronze in the European Championships. Her personal outdoor record of 2.06 m, set in Germany in 2003, is also a Swedish record. Her indoor record at 2.08 m, set in Germany in 2006, is also the world indoor record.

Kajsa grew up in Sollentuna, north of Stockholm, with her mother Elsa, father Gunnar and big brother Anders. Her interest in sport began when she was six years old and tried sports such as football, volleyball, badminton, swimming and cross-country skiing, none of which was able to keep her interest.

When she was ten years old, she was persuaded by her big brother, Anders, to compete in Rösjöloppet, a long-distance track event. After that event, she began to try out several athletic events.

Kajsa continued to train in several athletic events until she was 15 years old, when a new coach, Bengt Jönsson, came to her club, Turebergs FK. Soon after his arrival, he and Kajsa chose to concentrate on the event that was her best, high jump.

In 2001 she moved from Sweden to the tax haven of Monaco, which is a land that helps rich people not pay tax, and so harms the whole of the rest of the world's welfare. In effect rising the tax burden on the poor. You can only blame the copuntry itself for being so unfair, in that way.

By 2004, lack of progress and long travel distances caused Kajsa to end the relationship with her coach, Bengt Jönsson. She joined a group of athletes (including Olympic gold medalist Christian Olsson) under Yannick Tregaro.

At a competition in Båstad, on July 18, 2004, Kajsa tore her Achilles tendon. Due to the injury, she missed the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but managed to return to form just in time for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. There she made an impressive series of jumps to edge out Chaunte Howard for the gold medal. Her Helsinki victory earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal for that year.

In 2006 she had been ranked the number one female high jumper in the world but failed to win in that summer's European Championships in front of her home fans in Gothenburg, settling for a bronze medal.

In Arnstadt Germany, 4th of February 2006, Kajsa set her first world record. A first attempt indoor leap of 2.08m to surpass Heike Henkel's 2.07m leap on 8th of February 1992. The record wasn't totally unexpected since she jumped 2.00m already in the warm up for the competition.
International medals

Kajsa Bergqvist in Stuttgart, September 2006
High jump
Olympic Games
2000, Sydney - 1.99 m - Bronze
World Championships in Athletics
2005, Helsinki - 2.02 m - Gold
2003, Paris - 2.00 m - Bronze
2001, Edmonton - 1.97 m - Bronze
World Indoor Championships in Athletics
2003, Birmingham - 2.01 m - Gold
2001, Lisbon - 2.00 m - Gold
European Athletics Championships
2006, Gothenburg - 2.01 m - Bronze
2002, Munich - 1.98 m - Gold
European Indoor Athletics Championships
2002, Vienna - 1.95 m - Silver
2000, Ghent - 2.00 m - Gold
European Athletics U23 Championships
1997, Turku - 1.93 m - Silver
World Junior Championships in Athletics
1994 Lisbon - 1.88 m - Silver
European Athletics Junior Championships
1995, Nyiregyhaza - 1.89 m - Silver

Other victories
1999: Brussels (Golden League) - 1.97 m
2000: Stockholm (Grand Prix) - 1.96 m
2001: Vaasa (European Cup first league) - 1.92 m; Rome (Golden League) - 1.98 m; Monaco (Golden League) - 1.99 m; Berlin (Golden League) - 1.96 m
2002: Seville (European Cup first league) - 1.98 m; Lausanne (Grand Prix) - 2.04 m; Paris Saint-Denis (Golden League-meet) - 1.97 m; Stockholm (Grand Prix) - 2.00 m; Brussels (Golden League-meet) - 1.99 m
2003: Ostrava (Grand Prix) - 2.01 m; Lappeenranta (European Cup first league) - 1.96 m; Eberstadt (high jump-meet) - 2.06 m (outdoor personal best)
2005: Gävle (European Cup first league) - 2.01 m; Zagreb (Grand Prix) - 2.00 m; Madrid (Grand Prix) - 1.98 m; Stockholm (Grand Prix) - 1.95 m; Sheffield (Grand Prix) - 2.03 m; Monaco (World Athletics Final) - 2.00 m
2006: Doha (Grand Prix) - 1.97 m; Málaga (European Cup super league) - 1.97 m; Athens (Grand Prix) - 2.00 m; Stockholm (Grand Prix) - 2.02 m; London (Grand Prix) - 2.05 m; Eberstadt (high jump-meet) - 1.98 m; Stuttgart (World Athletics Final) - 1.98 m

Personal bests
2.06 m jump in Eberstadt 2003High jump
Indoor - 2.08 m (World record)
Outdoor - 2.06 m
Heptathlon
Outdoor - 4952 p

Pictures of her Kajsa Bergqvist

Picture of her acclaiming the crowd

Jumping

Celebrating a successful jump

A Great jump

A Big celebration

Under the High Jump