Sara Simeoni
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| Olympic medalist | |||
 Sara Simeoni (from www.sportmedicina.com) |
|||
| Medal record | |||
| Women's Athletics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1980 Moscow | High Jump | |
| Silver | 1976 Montreal | High Jump | |
| Silver | 1984 Los Angeles | High Jump | |
Sara Simeoni (born April 19, 1953) is an Italian former high jumper, who won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics and set two times a world record in her speciality.
Sara Simeoni was born in Rivoli Veronese, in the province of Verona. She began soon to frequent athletics, adopting the Fosbury style. Her first international result was at the 1971 European Championships in Helsinki, where she ended 9th with a 178 cm jump.
Her first Olympic medal was in 1976 at Montreal, with a silver. Her jump of 1.91 m was a personal record, and was beaten only by Rosemarie Ackermann's 1.93 m.
In August 1978, she set the new world record with 2.01m in Brescia. Later in the same month she equalled it at Prague while winning the European title. Two years later she confirmed as one of the greatest high jumper ever, winning the gold medal at the 1980 Olympic Games held in Moscow. Her jump of 197 cm set a new Olympic record.
After a series of tendons accidents Simeoni seemed to have no more chances to obtain relevant international results. Simeoni carried the Italian flag at the 1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremonies in Los Angeles. She however confirmed at the highest level in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles: it was a thrilling duel with German Ulrike Meyfarth, in which Simeoni managed to reach the 2 meters measure for the first time since 1978. The ageing Meyfarth, however, replied with a notable 2.02 m jump, and Simeoni won only a silver medal.
Simeoni's other titles include two bronze medals at the European Championships and 23 national titles. Her jump of 2.01 m is currently Italian record for women. She is widely considered the best Italian female athlete ever, along with Manuela Levorato and perhaps a few other prominent female athletes.
[edit] Achievements
| Olympic champions in women's high jump |
|---|
| 1928: Ethel Catherwood | 1932: Jean Shiley | 1936: Ibolya Csák | 1948: Alice Coachman | 1952: Esther Brand | 1956: Mildred McDaniel | 1960: Iolanda Balaş | 1964: Iolanda Balaş | 1968: Miloslavá Rezková | 1972: Ulrike Meyfarth | 1976: Rosemarie Ackermann | 1980: Sara Simeoni | 1984:Ulrike Meyfarth | 1988: Louise Ritter | 1992: Heike Henkel | 1996: Stefka Kostadinova | 2000: Yelena Yelesina | 2004: Yelena Slesarenko |
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