Swedish high jump legend announces retirement
January 7th 2008 14:00
The 2005 world champion and indoor world record holder stated that her enthusiasm for the sport was no longer what it was.
Not in any way was this a sudden decision,” said Bergqvist, “but rather the logical outcome of a process going on for about a year. Through 2007 I could not find the same enthusiasm for training and competing as I have always had before.”
The Swede endured a frustrating 2007 season as she was overtaken as the world’s best high jumper by young Croat Blanka Vlasic and finished 7th in the world championships.
“Physically I am absolutely OK with no injury problems. But after a long career I have simply come to the point where I feel "mission completed.”
“I will always keep in contact with the sport of athletics; after all it has been my life for so many years. But generally my life will now enter a new phase I am really looking forward to. On New Year's Eve I married my long time boyfriend Måns and I am also in the process of moving back to Stockholm from Monaco which has been my home for most of the years on the international high jumping scene.”
Between 1999-2007 Bergqvist was world ranked 8 – 1 – 3 – 1 – 2 – injured – 1 – 1 – 5 by the magazine Track & Field News underlining that she has been the top female high jumper of the last decade.
During her career she also raised the Swedish national records from 1.94 both outdoors and indoors to 2.06 and 2.08 respectively. The latter also constituting a World Indoor record.
She first cleared 2 metres in 2000 and then did it at least once each of the following seven years amassing a total of 52 meets at 2.00 .
Finally, between 2000 and 2006 Bergqvist competed in ten international championships (Olympics, World and European) outdoors and indoors without missing the podium even once and winning 50% of them - one World, two World Indoors, one European and one European Indoors making her one of the most consistent high jumpers ever to grace the world stage.
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