Sandra Elkasević facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sandra Elkasević

Elkasević at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin
Personal information
Birth name	Sandra Perković
Nationality	Croatian
Born	(1990-06-21) 21 June 1990 (age 34) Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.83 m
Weight	85 kg
Spouse(s)	Edis Elkasević ​ (m. 2023)​
Sport
Country	Croatia
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Discus throw
Club	HAAK Mladost Dinamo Zrinjevac
Coached by	Edis Elkasević
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1st (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Personal best(s)	Discus throw: 71.41 NR (Bellinzona 2017) Shot put: 16.40 (Split 2011) Indoors Shot put: 16.99i (Rijeka 2011)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Croatia Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Discus throw Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Discus throw Bronze 2024 Paris Discus throw World Championships Gold 2013 Moscow Discus throw Gold 2017 London Discus throw Silver 2015 Beijing Discus throw Silver 2022 Eugene Discus throw Bronze 2019 Doha Discus throw Diamond League 2012 Discus throw 2013 Discus throw 2014 Discus throw 2015 Discus throw 2016 Discus throw 2017 Discus throw European Championships Gold 2010 Barcelona Discus throw Gold 2012 Helsinki Discus throw Gold 2014 Zürich Discus throw Gold 2016 Amsterdam Discus throw Gold 2018 Berlin Discus throw Gold 2022 Munich Discus throw Gold 2024 Rome Discus throw Mediterranean Games Gold 2013 Mersin Discus Throw Gold 2018 Tarragona Discus Throw Continental Cup Silver 2010 Split Discus throw Bronze 2014 Marrakech Discus throw World Junior Championships Bronze 2008 Bydgoszcz Discus throw European Junior Championships Gold 2009 Novi Sad Discus throw Silver 2007 Hengelo Discus throw World Youth Championships Silver 2007 Ostrava Discus throw European Youth Olympic Festival Silver 2007 Belgrade Discus throw

Sandra Elkasević (born June 21, 1990), whose maiden name was Perković, is a famous Croatian discus thrower. She is one of the best female discus throwers ever! Sandra has won two gold medals at the Olympic Games (in 2012 and 2016). She also has two gold medals from the World Championships (in 2013 and 2017).

Sandra is also a record seven-time champion at the European Athletics Championships. She won these titles in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2024. This makes her the most successful female discus thrower in history. She has also won the Diamond League seven times.

Sandra had a very successful junior career. She won gold at the European Junior Championships in 2009. She even set a new national record there. A month later, she competed in the World Championships. She was the youngest discus thrower in the competition.

In 2010, she won gold at the European Championships. She became the youngest European champion in women's discus throw. She had a temporary break from competition in 2011. But she came back strong and won her title again at the 2012 European Championships.

Sandra is married to her coach, Edis Elkasević, since 2023. Her personal best throw is 71.41 meters. This is also a Croatian national record. She set this record in July 2017. At that time, it was the longest discus throw by a female athlete in 25 years!

Sandra's Early Life and Junior Career

Sandra started doing athletics when she was in second grade. She also played basketball and volleyball. By sixth grade, she focused mainly on athletics. She specialized in shot put and discus throw. In 2001, she joined the Dinamo-Zrinjevac athletics club.

Since 2004, her coach has been Ivan Ivančić. He was a former Olympic shot putter. He saw her amazing talent in discus throw. In her first year with him, she improved her personal best from 32 meters to over 50 meters.

First Successes as a Junior Athlete

Sandra started winning medals in discus throw in 2006. In her first big competition, the 2006 World Junior Championships, she didn't make the final. But after that, she regularly won international medals.

• She won silver medals at the World Youth Championships and the European Junior Championships in 2007.
• She won a bronze medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships.

In 2008, she was ranked 5th in the world for junior discus throwers. Her best throw was 55.89 meters.

Overcoming Challenges and Setting Records

In early 2009, Sandra faced a serious health problem. Doctors didn't diagnose her appendicitis correctly at first. Her appendix burst, which led to a very serious infection. She needed two emergency surgeries and a long time to recover. She lost 15 kg of weight. Doctors thought she wouldn't be able to train fully until the end of the year.

But Sandra is tough! She started training again after just three months. She returned to competition in July 2009. She won the discus throw gold medal at the European Junior Championships in Novi Sad. There, she set a new national record with a throw of 62.44 meters. This throw also qualified her for the World Championships.

Her performance at the European Junior Championships was the best in 20 years. She won by a huge margin of over 7 meters! Even her other throws in the final would have been enough to win gold. A month later, she finished 9th at her first big senior competition. This was the World Championships in Berlin. She was the youngest discus thrower there. Later that year, she improved her national record to 62.79 meters.

Because of her great 2009 season, SPIKES magazine named her one of "ten rising stars to watch in 2010". She also received the Croatian Olympic Committee's Dražen Petrović Award. This award is for the most promising Croatian female athlete.

Sandra's Amazing Senior Career

Elkasević at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb in 2010.

In March 2010, Sandra greatly improved her personal best. At the Croatian Winter Throws Championship in Split, she threw 66.85 meters. This was the best throw in the world for 2010 at that time. She also set her outdoor personal best in shot put, throwing 16.02 meters. She continued her strong performance by winning gold at the European Cup Winter Throwing.

In June, Sandra won gold in both discus throw and shot put. This helped her national team move up in the 2010 European Team Championships.

European Champion and Doping Suspension

Her excellent form in 2010 led to a gold medal at the European Championships in Barcelona. She struggled a bit in the qualification round. She barely made it to the final, placing 10th. But in the final, she made a strong first throw. She was in second place until her very last throw. Then, she threw 64.67 meters and won! She became the youngest European champion in women's discus throw.

In the IAAF Diamond League final, Sandra won with a new national record of 66.93 meters. She finished her first Diamond League season in second place overall. After winning at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb, she finished the 2010 season with a silver medal at the IAAF Continental Cup. European Athletics recognized her great year by giving her the European Athletics Rising Star of the Year award.

In February 2011, Sandra won the discus throw at the Croatian Winter Throws Championship. She improved her national record even further to 67.96 meters. She also set a national record in shot put, throwing 16.40 meters. Soon after, she had a back injury. She missed some competitions but returned in May. She won the Diamond League discus throw event in Shanghai.

In June 2011, it was announced that Sandra had a temporary break from competition. This was due to a rule violation. The Croatian Athletics Federation understood that she didn't mean to break any rules. They gave her a six-month suspension. This meant she couldn't compete for the rest of 2011. All her results after her first test were cancelled.

Olympic Gold and World Dominance

Sandra Elkasević with her 2012 London Olympic gold medal.

Sandra returned to competition in 2012. She continued to throw very well. She won at the 2012 European Cup Winter Throwing. She set a national record of 68.24 meters at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix. Then she broke the meet record at the Prefontaine Classic. She qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

At the European Championships in Helsinki, Sandra faced a tough rival, Nadine Müller. Sandra had trouble in the final, with two throws that didn't count. But under pressure, she threw 67.62 meters in her third try. This throw was good enough to win her second European title!

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sandra won the gold medal. She set a new national record of 69.11 meters.

In 2013, Sandra won the World Championship in Moscow. This proved her Olympic victory was no fluke.

In 2014, she won her third major championship. She won the 2014 European Championship in Zurich. She set another personal best of 71.08 meters. Two weeks later, she won the 2014 Diamond League season final. This happened on the same day her original coach, Ivan Ivančić, passed away.

Elkasević at the 2015 Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in Doha.

In 2015, Sandra won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships. She made her best throw in the final round.

In 2016, Sandra had a perfect season. She won all eleven competitions she entered. This included the Olympic Games and European Championships. She won her Olympic title with just one successful throw. It was 69.21 meters, which was 2 meters farther than anyone else!

2017 was another almost perfect season for Sandra. She won nine out of eleven competitions. This included the World Championships in London. Just before the World Championships, she threw a national record of 71.41 meters. This was the best throw in the world that year. It was also the longest throw in 25 years!

2018 was also a great year. Sandra won the European Championships. She only lost twice that year. One of those losses was in the Diamond League Final.

In 2019, Sandra won a bronze medal at the World Championships. This season marked the end of her complete world dominance. She didn't throw as far as in previous seasons. She only won three of the nine finals she competed in.

2020 was a quieter season due to world events. But Sandra still won several competitions in Croatia.

In 2021, Sandra finished 4th at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was just outside the medals.

Recent Seasons and Continued Success

In 2022, Sandra started the season with a win in Split. She reached 2nd place in the overall season ranking. She then placed second at the Diamond League competition in Birmingham. A week later, she was second again at the Prefontaine Classic. She improved her season best to 68.19 meters in Paris.

She won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships. She qualified for the final with her first throw. In the final, her second throw of 68.45 meters earned her the silver medal. This was her fifth medal at the World Championships.

Winning gold at the 2022 European Championships was a big achievement. She became the first athlete ever to win six individual titles at the European Athletics Championships. She was the top European thrower coming into the championship. She finished first in both the qualification and the final. She threw 67.95 meters in the fifth round to win. In September, she finished second at the Diamond League Finals in Zürich.

In 2023, Sandra started the season with a second place at the Diamond League in Paris. A week later, she was third in Oslo. On July 2, she won the Diamond League competition in Stockholm. This was her 46th career win in the Diamond League!

At the World Championship in Budapest, she qualified with the third best result. She improved her season best in the final to 66.57 meters. She finished fifth. This was her seventh time competing at the World Championships.

She finished second at the Diamond League event in Xiamen. She threw her season best of 67.32 meters there. A week later, she improved her season best again at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb. She threw 67.71 meters and won the event for the 11th time!

Sandra's Achievements

International Competitions

Note: Only the position and distance in the final are shown. (q) means the athlete did not qualify for the final.

Representing  Croatia

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
2006	World Junior Championships	Beijing, China	10th (q)	44.11 m
2007	World Youth Championships	Ostrava, Czech Republic	2nd	51.25 m
	European Junior Championships	Hengelo, Netherlands	2nd	55.42 m
2008	World Junior Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	7th (q)	15.03 m
			3rd	54.24 m
2009	European Junior Championships	Novi Sad, Serbia	1st	62.44 m
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	9th	60.77 m
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain	1st	64.67 m
2012	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1st	67.62 m
	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	1st	69.11 m
2013	Mediterranean Games	Mersin, Turkey	1st	66.21 m
	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	1st	67.99 m
2014	European Championships	Zürich, Switzerland	1st	71.08 m
2015	World Championships	Beijing, China	2nd	67.39 m
2016	European Championships	Amsterdam, Netherlands	1st	69.97 m
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	69.21 m
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	1st	70.31 m
2018	Mediterranean Games	Tarragona, Spain	1st	66.46 m
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	67.62 m
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	3rd	66.72 m
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	4th	65.01 m
2022	World Championships	Eugene, OR, United States	2nd	68.45 m
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	1st	67.95 m
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	5th	66.57 m
2024	European Championships	Rome, Italy	1st	67.04 m
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	3rd	67.51 m

Circuit Wins and Titles

• IAAF Diamond League discus throw Overall winner: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• IAAF Diamond League discus throw champion: 2017
  • 2010 (2): New York, Brussels
  • 2012 (6): Shanghai, Eugene, Oslo, Monaco, Stockholm, Zürich
  • 2013 (7): Doha, New York, Rome, Birmingham, Lausanne, Monaco, Brussels
  • 2014 (6): Shanghai, Eugene, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, Zürich
  • 2015 (6): Doha, Rome, Birmingham, New York, Monaco, Brussels
  • 2016 (7): Shanghai, Eugene, Oslo, Stockholm, London, Paris, Zürich
  • 2017 (4): Shanghai, Oslo, Birmingham, Brussels
  • 2018 (4): Doha, Rome, Paris, London
  • 2021 (2): Florence, Paris
  • 2022 (1): Oslo

Awards and Recognition

• Croatian sportswoman of the year by Sportske novosti (9 times): 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022.
• Croatian sportswoman of the year by Croatian Olympic Committee (9 times): 2022.

Sandra's Political Role

Sandra Elkasević was a candidate in the 2015 general election. She ran for a political party called Milan Bandić 365 – The Party of Labour and Solidarity. She was second on the party's list for her area.

The party won one seat from her district. The leader of the party, Milan Bandić, who was also the Mayor of Zagreb, did not take his seat. This was because he couldn't be both mayor and a Member of Parliament (MP) at the same time. So, Sandra became a member of the Croatian Parliament. She took her oath of office at the first meeting.

However, Sandra did not attend any other sessions of Parliament after the first one. Her time as an MP ended in July 2016. This was when the Parliament dissolved itself, leading to new elections. During her time as an MP, Sandra was part of the Parliament's Committee on the Family, Youth, and Sports.

Sandra's Personal Life

Sandra Elkasević is a devoted Roman Catholic. She can speak Croatian and English very well. She also understands some Italian. On December 31, 2023, she married her long-time boyfriend and coach, Edis Elkasević.

Images for kids

• Sandra Perkovic Zagreb 2010.jpg

  Elkasević at the Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb in 2010.

• 

  Sandra Elkasević with her 2012 London Olympic gold medal.

• 

  Elkasević at the 2015 Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in Doha.