Sarka Kasparkova in her very last triple jump contest in Havirov, Czech Republic (© OSSO)
The best female Czech athlete of the 1990s, triple jumper Sarka Kasparkova finished her excellent career on Sunday in Havirov, the town where she was born on 21 May 1971.
But the 1997 World Triple Jump champion was also very good at the High Jump with personal bests of 1.95m indoors and 1.92m outdoors, and in the Long Jump with 6.56m. Her gold medal in the Triple Jump in Athens in 1997 was the height of her career, with the winning performance of 15.20m still standing at number 6 in the all-time lists. Which other female jumper has a combination of three PB´s – 1.95-6.56-15.20?
Her coach Michal Pogany from Slovakia (himself 2.21m high jumper) not only made from her a world-class triple jumper but they also started life a family together with their daughter Terezka born on June 7 2001.
Nearly 1000 spectators came to Havirov on Sunday (25) to mark the occasion of her retirement and the opening of the new eight lane track arena in the town, and the highlight was a three event jumping triathlon in which 12 women including Kasparkova took part.
It was more a show than a serious competition, but that was the aim – to make the nicest possible farewell for Kasparkova.
Enough fun as the judges measured the long jumps from the point where the athletes made their take-off. But European Junior champion Denisa Scerbova from nearby Ostrava, jumped seriously and registered 6.35m, while the last long jump of Kasparkova was marked as 6.40m.
Then came the Triple Jump – where she jumped on her last serious try a legal 13.81 – her last competition, and finally the High Jump where she went over 1.65 and on an extra fourth try she did also 1.70m. The two specialists in this event were even better. Barbora Lalakova jumped 1.85 and then quit and Romana Dubnova (surprise of the autumn with 1.96) jumped 1.90 and tried for 1.93. But anyhow, the overall winner of this jumping triathlon could not be anybody else than Kasparkova.
“It is all very moving, so many nice memories,” said Kasparkova. “I want to thank everybody who supported me in my career, parents, family, coaches, people from the cities of Havirov and Brno, my club in Praha, my management, all friends and supporters."
"It is really the end, instead of everyday sporting activity I will do something maybe three times a week. My next career will be with my fitness studio. In some ways I will miss the Triple Jump, in some others maybe not. My career was long and enough. And Terezka is looking for a brother or sister,“ she said.
Triple jump career (with help of Peter Matthews):
1992-2005:
222 competitions, 103 wins (46%), 121 competitions over 14 metres (55 %)
Since first competition: 13 years, 8 months, 2 days
Olympic Games: three times, 1996-3., 2000-finals, 2004-qual
World Championships: six times, 1997-1., 1999-6., 1993-7., 1995,2003,2005-qual
European Championships: two times, 1998-2., 1994-6.
World Indoor Championships: five times, 1997,1999-3., 1995-4., 1993-7., 2004-qual
European Indoor Championships: five times, 1996,1998-2., 1992,1994,2005-4.
IAAF Grand Prix final: three times, 1997-2., 1993-5., 1995-7.
World University Games: two times, 1995-1., 1993-2.
National Championships: seven wins outdoors, twelve wins indoors
Goodwill Games: win in 1998
World Cup: 1992-5.
Athlete of the year in Czech Republic: 1998 (there is no separate ranking for men and women, so that underlines the importance)
National triple jump record: ten times
High Jump career:
Olympic Games 1992 – qual
World Junior championships 1988-6.
European junior championships 1989-3.
