Kajsa Bergqvist facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kajsa Bergqvist

Kajsa Bergqvist during the Swedish Sports Awards inside the Stockholm Globe Arena in January 2013
Personal information
Born	(1976-10-12) 12 October 1976 (age 48) Sollentuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden
Height	1.75 m
Weight	59 kg
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	High jump
Retired	2007
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	High jump (outdoor): 2.06 m High jump (indoor): 2.08 m (world record) Heptathlon: 4952 points
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Sweden Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 1 World Championships 1 0 2 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 European Championships 1 0 1 European Indoor Championships 1 1 0 Continental Cup 0 0 0 Total 5 1 3 Olympic Games Bronze 2000 Sydney High jump World Championships Gold 2005 Helsinki High jump Bronze 2001 Edmonton High jump Bronze 2003 Paris High jump European Championships Gold 2002 Munich High jump Bronze 2006 Gothenburg High jump World Indoor Championships Gold 2001 Lisbon High jump Gold 2003 Birmingham High jump European Indoor Championships Gold 2000 Ghent High jump Silver 2002 Vienna High jump World Athletics Final Gold 2005 Monte Carlo High jump Gold 2006 Stuttgart High jump Bronze 2003 Monte Carlo High jump
Updated on 18 August 2013.

Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist (born 12 October 1976) is a famous Swedish former high jumper. She is known for her amazing jumps and winning many medals. She earned a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. She also won one gold and two bronze medals at the World Championships. At the European Championships, she won one gold and one bronze medal.

Kajsa holds the Swedish record for outdoor high jump, clearing 2.06 meters in 2003. Even more impressively, her indoor record of 2.08 meters, set in 2006, is the world indoor record for women's high jump.

Kajsa Bergqvist's Athletic Journey

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Kajsa Bergqvist grew up in Sollentuna Municipality in Stockholm County, Sweden. Her interest in sports started when she was just 6 years old. She tried many different activities like football, volleyball, badminton, swimming, and cross-country skiing. However, none of these sports really captured her full attention for long.

When she was 10, her older brother, Anders, convinced her to try a long-distance running event called Rösjöloppet. After this race, she began to explore different athletics events. One of her biggest inspirations was the famous athlete Carl Lewis.

Focusing on High Jump

Kajsa continued to train in various athletics events until she was 15 years old. That's when a new coach, Bengt Jönsson, joined her club, Turebergs FK. Soon after, he and Kajsa decided to focus on the event she was best at: high jump. This decision helped her become a top athlete.

She also studied at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, USA, from 1995 to 1999. She earned a degree in Advertising. While there, she became the NCAA champion in high jump in 1997 and again in 1999.

Overcoming Challenges and World Records

In 2004, Kajsa changed coaches and began training with Yannick Tregaro. Sadly, on 18 July 2004, she suffered a serious injury. She tore her Achilles tendon during a competition in Båstad. This injury meant she could not compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

However, Kajsa worked hard to recover. She returned just in time for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. There, she performed incredibly well, making a series of strong jumps. She beat Chaunté Howard to win the gold medal. Her victory in Helsinki earned her the prestigious Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal for that year.

In 2006, Kajsa was ranked the number one female high jumper in the world. However, she only managed to win a bronze medal at the European Championships that summer in her home country, Gothenburg.

On 4 February 2006, at a meeting in Arnstadt, Germany, Kajsa set her first world record. She cleared an amazing 2.08 meters in her first attempt during an indoor competition. This jump broke the previous world indoor record of 2.07 meters, which had stood since 1992.

Kajsa decided not to compete in the 2007 European Indoor Athletics Championships. She wanted to focus on defending her world outdoor title. However, her performance at the World Championships in Osaka was not as strong, and she finished in 7th place.

Retirement and New Roles

Kajsa Bergqvist married director Måns Herngren on New Year's Eve in 2007. Shortly after, on 7 January 2008, she announced her retirement from high jumping. She felt her life was moving into "a new phase" and she no longer had the same motivation to compete. The couple later divorced in early 2011.

Since retiring from competitive athletics, Kajsa has continued to be involved in sports and other important causes. She has served as an ambassador for both UNICEF and the IAAF. In 2021, Kajsa Bergqvist became the head coach of the Swedish national athletics team.

International Medals and Achievements

High Jump Medals

• 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
• 1997, Turku – 1.93 m – Silver
• World Junior Championships in Athletics
  • 1994 Lisbon – 1.88 m – Silver
• European Athletics Junior Championships
  • 1995, Nyíregyháza – 1.89 m – Silver

Other Notable Victories

High Jump Competitions

• 1997: Bloomington, IN NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship – 1.93 m
• 1999: Boise, ID NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship – 1.90m
• 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; Internationales Hochsprung-Meeting Eberstadt – 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
• 2007; Vaasa (European Cup first league) – 1.92 m; Sheffield (Grand Prix) – 1.95 m

Images for kids

• 

  Kajsa Bergqvist's 2.06 m jump in Eberstadt 2003

See also

In Spanish: Kajsa Bergqvist para niños

• Female two metres club
• High Jump Differentials – Women