University of Minnesota Athletics
Spotakova Earns Olympic Bronze in Javelin
8/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
RIO DE JANEIRO -- University of Minnesota All-American Barbora Spotakova earned her third career Olympic medal with a third-place finish in the javelin at Olympic Stadium Thursday night, adding a bronze medal to her back-to-back gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Spotakova, representing her native Czech Republic, threw 64.80m (212-07) to secure third place. She was fourth through the first three rounds with a throw of 63.73m (209-01), earning three more attempts as the top eight competitors advanced. She moved into fourth place on her fifth throw but fouled her final attempt.
Sara Kolak of Croatia threw 66.18m (217-01) to win Olympic gold followed by Russia's Sunette Viljoen earning silver at 64.92m (213-00). Spotakova owns a season-best mark of 66.87m (219-04) set at the Czech Athletic Championship earlier this summer.
This year marked Spotakova's fourth appearance at the Olympic Games after taking 23rd in the javelin at the 2004 Olympic Games and winning gold in both 2008 and 2012. Spotakova has held the world record in the javelin at 72.28m (237-01) since 2008.
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).
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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