Javelin throw world record holder Barbora Spotakova retired from sports

Two-time Olympic champion and javelin throw world record holder Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic) ends her sports career at the age of 41. She made the announcement today at her favorite restaurant in the center of Prague, “where she always liked to go for a pint of Pilsner”.

Barbora Spotakova last competed in Thursday’s Diamond League final, where she finished fifth after feeling pain in her ankle during the warm-up.

“I’m a little sad about the performance, but there are worse things that could happen”, said Barbora Spotakova. “It’s just sport. It wasn’t my worst and it wasn’t my best performance. It’s just a big success for me to be here and compete. After the European Championships in] Munich last month I felt so tired that I didn’t I wanted to compete more”, added she.

Barbora Spotakova is an Olympic champion from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 in the javelin throw. The Czech, who has two sons Janek and Darek, is the only woman with a total of three Olympic medals in the javelin throw (including bronze at Rio 2016). She placed 14th in her fifth and final Olympics in Tokyo 2020. Barbora Spotakova set the world record of 72.28m in 2008.