Sandra Perković Creates History with 5th European Gold Medal in a Row
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Croatian discus champion Sandra Perković has created athletics history on Saturday night at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin.
Perković (28) won the gold medal with a throw of 67.62 metres to become the European champion for the fifth time in a row. The Croatian is now the first person to win five gold medals in a row at the European Championships.
Perković, who eased into tonight’s final with a throw of 64.54 metres with her first throw in qualifying, threw into the net in her first throw and then 59.09 metres in her 2nd attempt. In her third attempt, she threw 59.97 to remain in second place after the first three rounds behind Germany’s Nadine Mueller who threw 63 metres in her second attempt.
Perkovic’s fourth throw went into the net again before she took the lead with her fifth throw of 67.62 metres which was enough for her to claim gold and create history.
Mueller took silver with a throw of 63.00 metres, whilst fellow German Shanice Craft won bronze with a throw of 62..46 metres.
Perkovic’s four other European golds came in Barcelona (2010), when she became the youngest ever European champion in women’s discus, in Helsinki (2012), Zürich in 2014 and Amsterdam in 2016.
Sandra is also a two-time World (2013 & 2017) and Olympic champion, winning gold in 2012 in London and in 2016 in Rio.
