Sara Kolak
{{Short description|Croatian javelin thrower (born 1995)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image = Sara Kolak u Koprivnici.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Kolak in 2016
| nationality = Croatian
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|06|22|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Ludbreg, Croatia
| height = 1.70 m
| weight = 74 kg
| country = {{CRO}}
| sport = Track and field
| event = Javelin throw
| pb = NR 68.43 (2017)
| turnedpro =
| coach =
| module2 =
| medaltemplates = {{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalGold|2016 Rio de Janeiro | Javelin throw}}
{{MedalCompetition|European Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|2016 Amsterdam|Javelin throw}}
{{MedalCompetition|European U23 Championships}}
{{MedalGold| 2017 Bydgoszcz|Javelin throw}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships}}
{{MedalBronze| 2014 Eugene|Javelin throw}}
{{MedalCompetition|European Junior Championships}}
{{MedalBronze| 2013 Rieti|Javelin throw}}
{{Medal|Competition|European Throwing Cup}}
{{Medal|Bronze|2025 Nicosia|Javelin Throw}}
{{MedalCompetition|European Winter Throwing Cup}}
{{MedalGold|2017 Gran Canaria|Javelin Throw}}
{{MedalSilver|2016 Arad|Javelin Throw}}
{{MedalSilver|2014 Leiria|Javelin Throw}}
}}
Sara Kolak (born 22 June 1995) is a Croatian track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw. She is an Olympic champion and won the gold medal in the javelin throw event at the 2016 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference}} Kolak is also a European Championships bronze medallist and European U23 champion. She holds the Croatian record with a personal best throw of 68.43 m, set in 2017. It also ranks her tenth on the world all-time list. Kolak is a three-time Olympian and competed at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.
Career
Kolak made her junior international debut at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona. She won bronze medals at the 2013 European Junior Championships in Rieti and 2014 World Junior Championships in Eugene.{{Cite news |date=19 August 2016 |title=Kolak stuns them all with javelin gold |url=https://www.european-athletics.com/news/kolak-stuns-them-all-with-javelin-gold |access-date=28 August 2024 |work=European Athletics}}{{Cite web |last=Landells |first=Steve |date=5 January 2017 |title=Beating injury woes paves Kolak's unlikely road to Rio gold |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/sara-kolak-croatia-javelin |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=World Athletics}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.all-athletics.com/node/349998 |title=Profile of Sara KOLAK | All-Athletics.com |access-date=8 July 2016 |archive-date=25 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825085131/http://www.all-athletics.com/node/349998 |url-status=dead }} Kolak made her senior international debut at the 2014 European Championships in Zürich. That same year, she underwent surgery for a shoulder injury and was sidelined for 15 months.{{Cite news |date=2016-08-19 |title=Rio Olympics 2016: Croatia's Sara Kolak wins gold in women's javelin |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/36690942 |access-date=2024-08-28 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}} She won the bronze medal in the javelin throw at the 2016 European Championships in Amsterdam.
Kolak won the gold medal in the women's javelin throw event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, where she also set a new national record with a throw of 66.18 metres. She bested her record the following year with a 68.43 m throw at Athletissima in Lausanne.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-07-06 |title=Wayde van Niekerk sets world-leading 400-meter time of 43.62 |url=https://www.si.com/olympics/2017/07/06/ap-oly-ath-athletissima |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}} She won the gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2017 European U23 Championship in Bydgoszcz and placed fourth in the javelin throw at the 2017 World Championships in London.
Following the 2017 World Championships, Kolak struggled with an elbow injury. The Croatian Olympic Committee approved a $150,000 funding for her surgery,{{Cite news |url=https://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/sport/ostalo/clanak/id/537751/hrvatski-olimpijski-odbor-placa-troskove-operacije-sare-kolak-i-sandra-sukna-evo-i-iznosa |title=HOO plaća troškove operacije Sare Kolak i Sandra Sukna, evo i iznosa |work=Slobodna Dalmacija |access-date=2018-04-05 |language=hr-HR}} which was carried out in Minnesota. After the surgery, she underwent rehabilitation of the ligaments and returned to competition in the summer of 2019, placing seventh at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. In August 2019, she relocated from Slovenia to Norway in order to be coached by two-time Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen.{{Cite web |last=Landells |first=Steve |date=August 27, 2020 |title=Kolak on Olympic title defence: 'I will be ready' |url=https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/sara-kolak-javelin-throw-olympic-title-defenc |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=World Athletics}} Kolak competed in the javelin throw event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but failed to qualify for the final.{{Cite news |date=August 3, 2021 |title=Athletics-Disastrous end for Kolak as Andrejczyk, Barber advance in women's javelin |url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/athletics-disastrous-end-kolak-andrejczyk-barber-advance-womens-javelin-2021-08-03/ |access-date=August 28, 2024 |work=Reuters}} She placed eleventh at the 2024 European Championships in Rome and fourth in the javelin throw event at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.{{Cite news |last=Tennery |first=Amy |date=August 10, 2024 |title=Japan's Kitaguchi secures javelin gold with opening throw |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/athletics-japans-kitaguchi-wins-womens-javelin-2024-08-10/ |access-date=August 28, 2024 |work=Reuters}}
International competitions
| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |
| colspan="6"|Representing {{CRO}} |
|---|
| 2012
|23rd (q) |Javelin throw |
| 2013
|European Junior Championships |bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |Javelin throw |57.79 m |
| rowspan=2|2014
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |Javelin throw |
| European Championships
|21st (q) |Javelin throw |
| rowspan=2|2016
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |Javelin throw |
| Olympic Games
|bgcolor=gold|1st |Javelin throw |
| rowspan=2|2017
|bgcolor=gold|1st |Javelin throw |
| World Championships
|4th |Javelin throw |
| 2019
|7th |Javelin throw |
| 2021
| – |Javelin throw |NM |
| rowspan=2|2022
| – |Javelin throw |NM |
| European Championships
|14th (q) |Javelin throw |
| 2023
|23rd (q) |Javelin throw |
| rowspan=2|2024
|11th |Javelin throw |
| Olympic Games
|4th |Javelin throw |
| colspan=6| (q) Indicates overall position in qualifying round |
Awards
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{World Athletics|14380461}}
- {{European Athletics|14380461|old_id=k/athlete=158636-kolak-sara|archive=20200930183738}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|org_archive=20200814122212}}
- {{HOO profile|15042|hr_archive=20221226141523|en_archive=20200726014903}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Footer U23 European Champions Javelin Throw Women}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolak, Sara}}
Category:Sportspeople from Rijeka
Category:Croatian female javelin throwers
Category:Olympic athletes for Croatia
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Croatia
Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Category:European Athletics Championships medalists
Category:Olympic female javelin throwers
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:21st-century Croatian sportswomen
Category:European Games competitors for Croatia
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2023 European Games
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics