University of Minnesota Athletics
Spotakova Advances to Olympic Final
8/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Two-time defending Olympic gold medalist Barbora Spotakova, an All-American for the Gopher women's track & field team in 2002, secured her place in Thursday's Olympic javelin final with the second-best qualifying-round throw at Olympic Stadium Tuesday night.
Spotakova, representing her native Czech Republic, used a throw of 64.65m (212-01) on her second attempt to finish second in group B and second overall. She only need two throws to secure her place in the final, having recorded a mark of 62.50m (205-00) on her first throw.
Maria Andrejczyk of Poland threw 67.11m (220-02) to lead the javelin qualifying round, overtaking Spotakova for the best throw of the year; Spotakova owns a season-best of 66.87m (219-04) set at the Czech Athletic Championship earlier this summer.
No stranger to the Olympic Games, Spotakova is making her fourth appearance at the Games after taking 23rd in the javelin at the 2004 Olympic Games before winning gold in both 2008 and 2012. Spotakova has held the world record in the javelin at 72.28m (237-01) since 2008, and she also owns the Olympic javelin record at 71.42m (234-04).
Spotakova competed at Minnesota for one season, earning All-America honors in the javelin and also competing at the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon. The 2002 Big Ten heptathlon champion, Spotakova decided to give up training for the heptathlon and specialize in the javelin shortly after leaving Minnesota. She remains on the Gophers' all-time top-10 lists in both events, ranked fifth in the javelin (176-8) and third in the heptathlon (5,400).
The javelin final is Thursday at 7:10 p.m. CT at Olympic Stadium.
Barbora Spotakova is one of seven Gophers competing in Rio this summer and among the dozens of Gopher Olympians to compete over the Games' history. Please help support the next Gopher Olympian by giving to our Olympic sports programs. Click here for more information or to give today.
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