News27 Apr 2010


Vlasic – front and centre in Split for the IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup

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Blanka Vlasic of Croatia celebrates the gold medal in the High Jump (© Getty Images)

In the athletics world, Croatian High Jump star Blanka Vlasic needs little introduction. At home in Split, the two-time World champion certainly doesn’t need one at all.

For two years running, the reigning two-time World indoor and outdoor champion has managed to attract more than 12,000 people to the city’s Spaladium arena for an annual women’s High Jump competition - in both cases they were the largest indoor season gatherings in Europe. If anyone can fill Split’s Poljud Stadium, the host venue for the IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup, early in the evening on Sunday 5 September when the women’s High Jump is scheduled, it is Vlasic. At the moment, no athlete is closer to royalty in the city made famous by the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

Oddly enough, the Continental Cup will mark only the second time that the Olympic silver medallist will jump in the stadium, which is home to Split’s Hajduk football club.

“As far as I can remember, I only jumped once at the stadium,” Vlasic told local reporters recently. “I was about 14 and I can’t remember whether it was training or a competition.”

“I didn’t think then about how Poljud wasn’t used for athletics. But now I’m really excited about the idea and can’t wait for the stands to be filled for athletics.”

But she'll have to wait a little bit longer. Vlasic, an IAAF Diamond League Ambassador, is planning another typically full season, with a full slate of IAAF Diamond League meetings on her agenda along with the European Championships in Barcelona where she'll be chasing one of the few accolades which have thus far eluded her: a first continental medal of any colour. Then, after a summer of hopping around the globe, she’ll be heading home.

"It'll be at the end of the season, and it'll be like the 'šlag na tortu'," or, like a cherry atop a dessert, she said. "A few days before the Continental Cup will the Hanzekovic (Zagreb World Challenge) meeting, and then I go home. I think I'll be flying from happiness for ten days."

Jumping at her home stadium, she said, “Will certainly be one of the most special events in my career.”

Perkovic, another star on the rise

Croatia has another star on the rise who may be joining Vlasic in Split. Vlasic was a two-time World junior champion and discus thrower Sandra Perkovic is traveling a similar road.

The 2007 World youth silver medallist and the bronze medallist at the World juniors in 2008, Perkovic took the European junior title last year and capped her season by reaching the final at the World Championships in Berlin. She improved to 62.79m last year and has already gotten 2010 off with a bang. In March Perkovic extended her own national record to 66.85m in Split, currently the farthest throw in the world this year.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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