Stefka Kostadinova

Stefka Kostadinova
Personal information
Native name Стефка Георгиева Костадинова
Full name Stefka Georgieva Kostadinova
Nationality Bulgarian
Born (1965-03-25) March 25, 1965
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Years active 19851997
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 60 kg (132 lb)
Sport
Country  Bulgaria
Sport Athletics
Event(s) High jump
Turned pro 1985
Retired 1997
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 1st (Atlanta, 1996)
Highest world ranking 1st (Rome, 1987)
Personal best(s) High jump (outdoor): 2.09 m (World Record)
High jump (indoor): 2.06 m[1]

Stefka Georgieva Kostadinova (Bulgarian: Стефка Георгиева Костадинова; born March 25, 1965) is a Bulgarian retired athlete who competed in the high jump. Her world record of 2.09 metres has stood since 1987. She is the 1996 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion and a five-time World Indoor champion. She has been the president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee since 2005.[2]

Early career

Born in Plovdiv, Kostadinova went to a specialist sports school, but was only introduced to high jump in a Year Six (12-13 year olds) athletics meet in Sofia, on a day she is quoted as saying she would never forget (on TransWorldSport interview in 2012). She jumped 1.66m and was informed that it was a world record for her age group; equivalent to the adult female world record in 1941: See Women's high jump world record progression

Career

Kostadinova is the reigning world record holder in the women's high jump at 2.09 m, which she jumped during the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. Her world record is one of the oldest in modern athletics. Altogether Kostadinova set seven world records - three outdoors and four indoors. She also holds the women's world record for having jumped over 2.00 m 197 times.

Kostadinova won the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, setting an Olympic record of 2.05 m. She also won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Kostadinova won the outdoor World Championships in 1987 and 1995. She won the World Indoor Championship five times between 1985 and 1997. Kostadinova also won gold in all European Championships in Athletics which she competed. She was a European outdoor champion in Stuttgart in 1986 and a four-time European indoor champion in 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1994.

Kostadinova was voted Sportsperson of the Year in Bulgaria four times (1985, 1987, 1995 and 1996).

Personal life

In 1995 Kostadinova gave birth to her son, Nikolay, just several months before winning gold in the 1995 World Championships in Athletics. In 1999 she divorced her long-standing husband and coach, Nikolay Petrov. The same year she officially put an end to her athletic career, though she had actually not participated in any major sports competition since the World Indoors Championship in 1997. In 2007 Kostadinova married her companion of some nine years, a businessman in the construction industry, Nikolai Popvasilev.

Sports administration career

After retiring Kostadinova started a career in sports administration. She has served as vice president of the Bulgarian Athletic Federation, vice president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee and was deputy sports minister of Bulgaria from 2003 through 2005.

On November 11, 2005 Kostadinova was elected president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. She replaced Ivan Slavkov, who was expelled by the International Olympic Committee for violating its standards in ethics.

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing  Bulgaria
1985 World Indoor Games Paris, France 1st 1.97 m
European Indoor Championships Piraeus, Greece 1st 1.97 m
World Cup Canberra, Australia 1st 2.00 m
1986 Goodwill Games Moscow, Soviet Union 1st 2.03 m
European Championships Stuttgart, Germany 1st 2.00 m
1987 European Indoor Championships Liévin, France 1st 1.97 m
World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 1st 2.05 m
World Championships Rome, Italy 1st 2.09 m WR
1988 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 2.04 m
Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 2nd 2.01 m
1989 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 2.02 m
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 6th 1.93 m
1992 European Indoor Championships Genoa, Italy 2nd 2.02 m
Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 4th 1.94 m
1993 World Indoor Championships Toronto, Canada 1st 2.02 m
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 15th (q) 1.90 m
1994 European Indoor Championships Paris, France 1st 1.98 m
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 1st 2.01 m
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 1st 2.05 m
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 1st 2.02 m

See also

References

Records
Preceded by
Bulgaria Lyudmila Andonova
Women's High Jump World Record Holder
June 1, 1986
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Bulgaria Ivan Slavkov
President of the
Bulgarian Olympic Committee

November 11, 2005
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Bulgaria Lyudmila Andonova
Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1985 1988
Succeeded by
Cuba Silvia Costa
Preceded by
Germany Heike Henkel
Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1992 1993
Succeeded by
Cuba Silvia Costa
Ukraine Inga Babakova
Slovenia Britta Bilač
Preceded by
Ukraine Inga Babakova
Women's High Jump Best Year Performance
1996 1997
Succeeded by
Bulgaria Venelina Veneva
Preceded by
Bulgaria Lyudmila Andonova
Women's Bulgarian National Champion
1985 1988
Succeeded by
Bulgaria Rosanel Gogi
Preceded by
Bulgaria Svetlana Leseva
Women's Bulgarian National Champion
1991
Succeeded by
Bulgaria Lyudmila Andonova
Preceded by
Bulgaria Venelina Veneva
Women's Bulgarian National Champion
1996
Succeeded by
Bulgaria Khristina Kalcheva
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