Sandra Perković is coming to the Zagreb Meeting with world gold from Moscow! Olympic and European Discus Throw Champion completed her collection of gold medals from major competitions, having won with the throw of 67.99 at the World Championships in Russia’s capital. This was her farthest, second throw, but she would have also won with her other two legal throws: 67.52 on the first and 67.80 on the fourth throw.
„I am delighted, because I have made another dream come true. I practised hard for this gold, six hours a day. I felt honoured with the role of the favourite, which everybody pushed me into, but it wasn’t easy. I wanted to throw even farther than the winning distance of 67.99 metres, but it wasn’t possible because it started raining. After becoming Olympic Champion last year, I had difficult moments at the beginning of this year, when I sustained a shoulder injury in January. This prevented me from training for a month and a half, which was very upsetting. My plan after the World Championships is to go to the Diamond League final in Brussels and break the Croatian record of 69.11 metres“, Sandra said after the final, revealing another detail, which she had been hiding until then:
„I got a stiff back during practice on Friday, and I got scared for a moment, thinking that I would have to withdraw from the competition at the World Championships. It would have been terrible. Luckily, our physiotherapist did a great job and I didn’t feel anything already during the qualifications.“
Surprisingly, silver in the Moscow final was won by France’s Melina Robert-Michon (66.28 m), and bronze by Cuba’s Yarelys Barrios (64.96 m).
So at only 23, Croatia’s best athlete has already won everything one can win in the world of athletics: last year, she was Olympic Champion in London, she was European Champion twice, in Barcelona in 2010 and in Helsinki in 2012. She didn’t want to miss winning gold at the Mediterranean Games in Mersin, and she has already secured her second overall win in the Diamond League.
She is also the first female discus thrower who has won all the three major titles – European, World and Olympic.
We are eagerly looking forward to her appearance at the Zagreb Meeting on 3 September!