Barbora Špotáková facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Barbora Špotáková

Barbora Špotáková
Personal information
Born	(1981-06-30) 30 June 1981 (age 44) Jablonec nad Nisou, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.82 m
Weight	80 kg
Sport
Country	Czech Republic
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 1 World Championships 3 1 0 European Championships 1 1 2 Continental Cup 1 0 0 Universiade 1 0 0 Total 8 2 3 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Javelin throw Gold 2012 London Javelin throw Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Javelin throw World Championships Gold 2007 Osaka Javelin throw Gold 2011 Daegu Javelin throw Gold 2017 London Javelin throw Silver 2009 Berlin Javelin throw European Championships Gold 2014 Zürich Javelin throw Silver 2006 Gothenburg Javelin throw Bronze 2010 Barcelona Javelin throw Bronze 2022 Munich Javelin throw Universiade Gold 2005 Izmir Javelin throw Continental Cup Gold 2014 Marrakech Javelin throw Diamond League Gold 2010 Javelin throw Gold 2012 Javelin throw Gold 2014 Javelin throw Gold 2015 Javelin throw Gold 2017 Javelin throw

Barbora Špotáková (born on June 30, 1981) is a famous athlete from the Czech Republic. She used to compete in track and field events, especially the javelin throw. Barbora is known for being one of the best javelin throwers ever! She has won two gold medals at the Olympic Games and three gold medals at the World Championships. She also holds the current world record for the longest javelin throw by a woman, which is an amazing 72.28 meters.

Barbora Špotáková: Javelin Star

Early Life and Training

When Barbora was younger, she started as a heptathlete. This means she competed in seven different track and field events. She finished fourth at the World Junior Championships in 2000. After that, she went to study in the United States. While there, she decided to focus mainly on the javelin throw.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2006, Barbora won a silver medal at the European Championships in Gothenburg. The next year, at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, she threw the javelin an incredible 67.07 meters. This throw won her the gold medal and set a new Czech national record! She was only the seventh woman in the world to throw over 67 meters.

Olympic Glory and Records

Barbora's biggest achievements came at the Olympic Games.

• At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she won her first gold medal. Her final throw of 71.42 meters was a new European record!
• Soon after, in September 2008, she broke the world record with a throw of 72.28 meters. This is still the world record today!
• She won her second Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Barbora was coached by Rudolf Černý for many years. Later, another famous javelin thrower, Jan Železný, became her coach. She was voted "Athlete of the Year" in the Czech Republic five times in a row!

Life After Competition

Barbora took a break from competing in 2013 when she had her son. But she came back strong! In 2014, she won the European Championships in Zürich, Switzerland. She continued to compete and won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In 2017, she won another gold medal at the World Championships in London.

On September 9, 2022, Barbora Špotáková announced that she was retiring from professional sports. She had an amazing career filled with many victories and records.

Personal Life

Barbora Špotáková was born in Jablonec nad Nisou, a town in the Czech Republic. She later moved to Prague. Since 2014, she has been living in a town called Unhošť.

Images for kids

• 

  Barbora Špotáková, a Czech javelin thrower.

See also

In Spanish: Barbora Špotáková para niños