Vera Nikolić

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Vera Nikolić

| image = Vera Nikolić 1972.jpg

| caption = Nikolić in 1972

| native_name = Вера Николић

| birth_date = {{birth-date|23 September 1948}}

| birth_place = Grabovica, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia

| death_date = {{death-date and age|28 June 2021|23 September 1948}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vecernji.hr/sport/preminula-vera-nikolic-jedna-od-najboljih-sportasica-bivse-drzave-1503847|title=Preminula Vera Nikolić, jedna od najboljih sportašica bivše države|publisher=Večernji.hr|date=28 June 2021|access-date=28 June 2021}}

| death_place = Belgrade, Serbia

| height = 1.68 m

| weight = 57 kg

| sport = Athletics

| event = 800 m, 1500 m

| club = Morava Ćuprija
Dinamo Zagreb

| coach = Leo Lang

| pb = 800 m – 1:59.62 (1972)
1500 m – 4:12.7 (1972)

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country | {{YUG}} }}

| show-medals = yes

}}

Vera Nikolić (Serbian Cyrillic: Вера Николић; 23 September 1948 – 28 June 2021) was a Serbian middle-distance runner, who competed at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, and later became a coach.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ni/vera-nikolic-1.html |title=Vera Nikolić |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418063254/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ni/vera-nikolic-1.html |archive-date=2020-04-18}}

Biography

Nikolić began her career in 1964 when she became Yugoslav youth champion and later Balkan youth cross-country champion at the age of 16. In the summer of that year, she set two national youth records with 57.3 seconds over 400 meters and 2:14.4 minutes over 800 meters.

At the 1966 European Championships in Budapest, she won the gold medal in the 800 metres race. At 17 years and 346 days, Nikolić was the youngest European champion at the time, until she was replaced by the Spaniard Mari Cruz Díaz in 1986. Nikolić received a Golden Badge of Sport, award for the best athlete of Yugoslavia in 1966. In 1967, she set a junior world record of 1:25.2 minutes over the rarely run 600 metres distance.

She won the British WAAA Championships title in the 800 metres event on 20 July at the 1968 WAAA Championships, setting a world record of 2.00.5.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000566/19680721/100/0030 |title=World-Beater Vera |work=Sunday Post |date=21 July 1968 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 March 2025 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=2 March 2025}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=2 March 2025 }}

At the 1969 European Championships in Athens, she had to settle for third place. But at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki, she became European champion again. In the same year, she won both the 800 and 1500 metres at the Mediterranean Games.

As one of the favourites at the 1968 Olympic Games, she could not cope with the pressure of expectations and ended the race early.[http://sport.blic.rs/ostali-sportovi/atletika/vera-nikolic-za-mene-je-bekric-vanzemaljac-ali-ne-stvarajmo-pritisak-sportistima/16b1th8 www.blicsport.rs Vera Nikolić: Za mene je Bekrić vanzemaljac, ali ne stvarajmo pritisak sportistima] she gave up her semifinal – after leading it for 300 metres she suddenly stepped off the track, walked back to the start, sat down and took off her shoes.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/ATH/womens-800-metres.html |title=Athletics at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games: Women's 800 metres |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417174153/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1968/ATH/womens-800-metres.html |archive-date=2020-04-17}}

She changed coaches and moved to Zagreb, where she competed for Dinamo Zagreb. Her world record was beaten on 11 July 1971 by the German Hildegard Falck. Her successes were initially based on intensive interval training under coach Aleksandar Petrović. It was only in Zagreb, under the direction of coach Leo Lang, that she began to lay a broader foundation in endurance. At the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Vera Nikolić took fifth place in the 800 metres with a time of 1:59.98 minutes.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79366 |title=Biographical Information |website=Olympedia |access-date=2 March 2025}}