Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Sara Kolak

Sara Kolak
Kolak in 2016
Personal information
NationalityCroatian
Born (1995-06-22) 22 June 1995 (age 29)
Ludbreg, Croatia
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Country Croatia
SportTrack and field
EventJavelin throw
Achievements and titles
Personal bestsNR 68.43 (2017)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Javelin throw
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Amsterdam Javelin throw
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Bydgoszcz Javelin throw
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Eugene Javelin throw
European Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Rieti Javelin throw
European Winter Throwing Cup
Gold medal – first place 2017 Gran Canaria Javelin Throw
Silver medal – second place 2016 Arad Javelin Throw
Silver medal – second place 2014 Leiria Javelin Throw

Sara Kolak (born 22 June 1995) is a Croatian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She is an Olympic champion and won the gold medal in the javelin throw event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1] Kolak is also a European Championships bronze medallist and European U23 champion. She holds the Croatian record with a personal best throw of 68.43 m, set in 2017. It also ranks her tenth on the world all-time list. Kolak is a three-time Olympian and competed at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.

Career

Kolak made her junior international debut at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona. She won bronze medals at the 2013 European Junior Championships in Rieti and 2014 World Junior Championships in Eugene.[2][3][4] Kolak made her senior international debut at the 2014 European Championships in Zürich. That same year, she underwent surgery for a shoulder injury and was sidelined for 15 months.[5] She won the bronze medal in the javelin throw at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam.[2]

Kolak won the gold medal in the women's javelin throw event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where she also set a new national record with a throw of 66.18 metres.[5] She bested her record the following year with a 68.43 m throw at Athletissima in Lausanne.[6] She won the gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2017 European U23 Championship in Bydgoszcz and placed fourth in the javelin throw at the 2017 World Championships in London.

Following the 2017 World Championships, Kolak struggled with an elbow injury. The Croatian Olympic Committee approved a $150,000 funding for her surgery,[7] which was carried out in Minnesota. After the surgery, she underwent rehabilitation of the ligaments and returned to competition in the summer of 2019,[7] placing seventh at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. In August 2019, she relocated from Slovenia to Norway in order to be coached by two-time Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen.[8] Kolak competed in the javelin throw event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but failed to qualify for the final.[9] She placed eleventh at the 2024 European Championships in Rome and fourth in the javelin throw event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[10]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Croatia
2012 World Junior Championships Barcelona, Spain 23rd (q) Javelin throw 48.15 m
2013 European Junior Championships Rieti, Italy 3rd Javelin throw 57.79 m
2014 World Junior Championships Eugene, United States 3rd Javelin throw 55.74 m
European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 21st (q) Javelin throw 52.51 m
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 3rd Javelin throw 63.50 m
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1st Javelin throw 66.18 m
2017 European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 1st Javelin throw 65.12 m
World Championships London, United Kingdom 4th Javelin throw 64.95 m
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 7th Javelin throw 62.28 m
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan – Javelin throw NM
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States – Javelin throw NM
European Championships Munich, Germany 14th (q) Javelin throw 57.31 m
2023 World Championships Budapest, Hungary 23rd (q) Javelin throw 55.89 m
2024 European Championships Rome, Italy 11th Javelin throw 55.90 m
Olympic Games Paris, France 4th Javelin throw 63.40 m
(q) Indicates overall position in qualifying round

Awards

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Sara Kolak". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Kolak stuns them all with javelin gold". European Athletics. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ Landells, Steve (5 January 2017). "Beating injury woes paves Kolak's unlikely road to Rio gold". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Profile of Sara KOLAK | All-Athletics.com". Archived from the original on 25 August 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Rio Olympics 2016: Croatia's Sara Kolak wins gold in women's javelin". BBC Sport. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Wayde van Niekerk sets world-leading 400-meter time of 43.62". Sports Illustrated. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b "HOO plaća troškove operacije Sare Kolak i Sandra Sukna, evo i iznosa". Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  8. ^ Landells, Steve (27 August 2020). "Kolak on Olympic title defence: 'I will be ready'". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Athletics-Disastrous end for Kolak as Andrejczyk, Barber advance in women's javelin". Reuters. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  10. ^ Tennery, Amy (10 August 2024). "Japan's Kitaguchi secures javelin gold with opening throw". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  11. ^ Vijesti: Dodijeljena odlikovanja izraz su priznanja i zahvalnosti za rad i doprinos razvoju i napretku Republike Hrvatske(in Croatian)
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Kolak