University of Minnesota Athletics
Former Golden Gopher Barbora Spotakova Wins Olympic Gold
8/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
Former Golden Gopher All-American Barbora Spotakova captured the gold medal in the javelin in the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Thursday. Spotakova, representing the Czech Republic, was the first Gopher women’s track & field athlete to compete in an Olympic Games (Athens, 2004) and now is the first to medal and it’s gold.
Spotakova won the title on her last attempt in the final sailing the javelin a distance of 234 feet, 4 inches, setting a new European record in the event. Osleidys Menendez of Cuba, the 2004 Olympic champion and world record holder, finished sixth.
Spotakova competed for one season at Minnesota, where she captured All-America honors in 2002 in the javelin and competed at the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon. Shortly after leaving Minnesota, she decided to give up training for the heptathlon and specialize in the javelin. She remains on the Gophers’ top-10 lists in both events, ranking fourth in the javelin (176-8) and second in the heptathlon (5,400).
Spotakova won the title on her last attempt in the final sailing the javelin a distance of 234 feet, 4 inches, setting a new European record in the event. Osleidys Menendez of Cuba, the 2004 Olympic champion and world record holder, finished sixth.
Spotakova competed for one season at Minnesota, where she captured All-America honors in 2002 in the javelin and competed at the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon. Shortly after leaving Minnesota, she decided to give up training for the heptathlon and specialize in the javelin. She remains on the Gophers’ top-10 lists in both events, ranking fourth in the javelin (176-8) and second in the heptathlon (5,400).
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