Blanka Vlasic the biography

Blanka Vlasic, High Jumper, Athlete - Biography, or Blanka Vlasiè

High Jump Athlete,

Height: 1.93 Metres 6 ft 4
Weight: 75 KG

born November 8, 1983 in Split

Blanka Vlasic was born in Croatia, the daughter of Josko a Decathlete who still holds the Croatian record in that event, and her mother who was a Alipne Skier, and successful International Croatian Women's basketball player.

She was named after Casablanca where her father was competing around the time of her birth.

Early on in her life, she wanted to be a sprinter.

She says that the main lure to her becoming a high jumper was the fact she was thin, and tall, and athletic.

Some said that maybe Volleyball, or basketball would be better, but she decided upon the High Jump.

So with her father and a other man, helping her train, she advanced to become very good when still only a teenager, something not uncommen for this sport.

So in Summer 2000, before she was seventeen, she was jumping 1.93m, and was able to enter the Olympics in Sydney that year. Then it was the World Junior Championships in Chile's Santiago, where many touted her as a possible winner. She beat Marina Kuptsova who held the titile, with a 1.91m jump, so won the Gold Medal.

Before she was 18, she finished sixth at the World Championshisp in Edmonton, Canada, with a jump of 1.95 Metres, being 1cm more than the leap, that got her that place.

She won her last Junior World Championshisp, in Kingston, Jamaica, with a 9cm lead over her rivals, that gacve her the trophy with a 1.96 metre jump. As the favourite this was still a notable achievement then. She finished in a equal fifth place in the European Championshisp, in her last Junior phase.

2003 saw her rise even more. At 19 she achieved a jump of 1.98 metres at a Indoor event in Austria. Finishing 4th at the Indoor World Championships in Birmingham. Then five weeks later reached 1.99 Metres in France, in her first Golden League Victory. She was very happy to have beaten competitors who she had a allot of respect for.

Then not much later she jamp over 2 metres, which was a very emotional moment for her.

Entering the 2 metre club, which sent allot of people around the stadium happy too.

Still in 2003, she won the European Under-23 prize in Bydgoszcz, Poland, by jumping 1.98m

She reached 2.01 Metres in Zurich a bit later.

But was dissapointed with what would have been a good result at the start of her career seventh in the World Championships, she said the pressure, of knowing it was her first big chance to win, harmed her a bit, but she still jamp 1.95 Metres.

In 2004 this drop in form stayed, as she felt more lethargic, and unable to keep a samey weight, that is needed. Despite getting a indoor best, and a outdoor, best, the outdoor best being 2.03 metres in Slovenia. And getting in 2004 a Bronze at the World Indoor Championships, in Hungary. in March.

But the worse form stepped into the Olympics in Greece, where she was only able to get to 1.89 metres, and 11 th place.

Surgery on a hyperthyroid harmed her career, in 2005, where she did only 2 events.

This rest, helped her, with her getting 1.95 metres in one of those.

Then in 2006 she boomed.

With her winning a Silver Medal in Moscow, in 2006's Indoor World Championships.

Just a while after she became among the faves for winning the event, with a jump of 2.05 Metres in Banská Bystrica, 3 cm behind the world record.

And reached a more stable many jumps over 2 metres ability.

This website was written in November 2006

Pictures of her

Standing

Jumping

Lying down