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Croatian great Blanka Vlašić is retiring from her very successful career as a high jumper.
The 37-year-old is a popular personality on and off the track. Her high jump career included a total of 166 jumps over 2m or more. Her personal best is 2.08m which is the second-best all-time behind only Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova with 2.09m.
Vlašić dominated the event during the 2000s, winning back-to-back world titles in 2007 and 2009 as well as the European Championships gold medal in 2010. She was prolific during her best years.
Happy retirement Blanka Vlasic 🇭🇷 and congratulations on an extraordinary career! 💐
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) February 19, 2021
Olympics
🥈 2008
🥉 2016
European Champs
🥇 2010
World Champs
🥇 2007
🥇 2009
🥈 2011
🥈 2015
World Indoors
🥇 2008
🥇 2010
🥈 2006
🥉 2004 pic.twitter.com/SYZbTArO7r
As a junior, she won back-to-back world U20 world titles in 2000 and 2002. She cleared 2m first at the age of 19 at home in Zagreb in 2003. Her final jump cleared 2.01m and earned her a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
Vlašić has not competed since the 2016 Rio Olympic Games but was named European Athlete of the Year in 2007 and 2010.