Stefka Kostadinova was one of the world’s leading high jumpers for around a decade. She first came to prominence in 1985, winning the World Indoor title and ranking # 1 in the world. In 1986, she equalled the world record and raised it to 2.08 m several days later. At the 1987 World Championships, she improved the record further to 2.09 m, a feat that has survived up to date.
During her career, Kostadinova won Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medal, after having secured Olympic silver at Seoul 1988 and finished fourth in Barcelona 1992. Besides, she won two world championships (1987 and 1995), one European gold (1986), five indoor world titles (1985, 1987, 1989, 1993 and 1997).
Kostadinova was world-ranked in the top 10 for 13 years, from 1984 to 1997, missing only 1990, and was ranked 1 in the world six times – 1985 to 1988, 1993, and 1996. After ending her active career,she became a renowned sports administrator. She was elected Vice-President of the Bulgarian Athletics Federation, served as the Deputy Sports Minister of Bulgaria (2003-2005) and became the President of the Bulgarian National Olympic Committee in 2005.
Early Life and Education
Stefka Georgieva Kostadinova was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria on March 25, 1965. Right from the time she was young, she showed a strong liking for sporty activities. This contributed to her enrollment in the Plovdiv School of Sports, where she initially participated in gymnastics and swimming.
She was introduced to the high jump during the sixth grade, and won her first competition in Sofia with an age group world record. In an interview in 2012, she said, “I would never forget that day of my life.” She jumped 1.66 m (5 ft 4) and was informed that it was a world record for her age group; and the same as the adult female world record in 1941.
She was gifted with an athletic physique and started displaying her flair from a very young age.After training under Nikolay Petrov, she easily surpassed the barrier of 2 meters in women’s high jump.
She achieved international successes in the year 1985, winning the gold medals at the 1985 European Athletics Indoor Championships and the 1985 World Indoor Championships. Then, she went on to set the world record of 2.09m in the women’s high jump event at the 1987 World Championships.
In 1989, she won the World Indoor Championship.The following year, after winning her fifth World Indoor Championship, she took retirement from athletics. A determined sportsperson and a woman of sheer commitment, she continues to be one of the most loved and respected athletes of her time. She graduated from Plovdiv University “Paiisi Hilendarski” with a degree in Physical Education.
Progression of the World Record
The high jump event in track and field athletics has evolved as the technique and equipment have improved over the years. Significant changes occurred when the landing pit of sand or sawdust was replaced with foam mats, and the ‘Fosbury Flop’ back over technique was able to be utilized.
The first world record in the women’s high jump was recognized by the Federation Sportive Feminine Internationale (FSFI) in 1922. The FSFI was absorbed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1936. As of June 21, 2009, the IAAF (and the FSFI before it) has ratified 56 world records in the event. Amongst IAAF ratified world records in the event, the feat of 1.91m by Iolanda Balas of Romania established on July 16, 1961 in Sofia is the only world record that survived. When Stefka Kostadinova started to blossom the record that stood was 2.07m by Lyudmila Andonova of Bulgaria established in East Berlin on July 20, 1984.
Stefka Kostadinova, standing 1.80m and weighing 60 kgs equalled the world record by clearing 2.07m (6 ft 9+1/2 in) in Sofia, Bulgariya on May 25, 1986. After just six days, she sailed over 2.08m (6 ft 9+3⁄4 in) in Sofia, Bulgaria on May 31, 1986 to establish a new world record. And after another 15 months, she cleared 2.09m (6 ft 10+1⁄4 in) in Rome, Italy on August 30, 1987 to establish a new world record. This world record has now survived 34 long years and will reach 35 years this year.
Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics
Stefka Kostadinova competed at three editions of the Summer Olympic Games, winning two medals. After her astonishing accomplishments, she participated in the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games but could add only a silver medal to her tally, with a jump of 2.01m.
The jump events of the Summer Olympic Games – high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault have been constant fixtures in the competition’s athletics program. All four events, in some form, existed in the ancient Olympics. With the modern Summer Games rolling out in 1896, all the jump events have continued to be integral parts of the global showpiece.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics also featured all four events. It’s easy to see why. The jump events, after all, make for the most enticing imagery in sports. Bulgarian icon Stefka Kostadinova arrived in Atlanta, determined to win the gold medal. She emerged Olympic champion at the Centennial Olympic Stadium in Atlanta 2000 in front of a capacity of 85,000 competing with 32 competitors from 24 nations.
However, an ill-timed injury in the leg shortly before the beginning of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games prevented her from performing at her maximum potential and she could secure only the fourth position in the competition. In the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, she was finally able to succeed and earn a gold medal for herself in high jump.
In the run up to Atlanta 1996 Olympics, she had 20 of the 25 jumps ever at 2.05m, and two world gold medals, but had never won the Olympic title. She was favourite to win, though had a losing record against Inha Babakova of Ukraine since the beginning of 1995. As the bar rose to 2.03, only Babakova and Kostadinova had perfect records.
Antonella Bevilacqua of Italy had not missed a height up to and including 1.99m. Her failure at 2.01 left her in fourth place, but she was then disqualified when the result of an earlier doping control test was confirmed. At 2.03m Kostadinova, cleared cleanly first time to win he first Olympic gold medal.
Babakova failed, but the shortest of the three contenders – Niki Bakogianni got over on her final attempt, to achieve the highest differential of any two-metre jumper (33cm above her own height). Just to make sure Kostadinnova then cleared 2.05m, her fourth such jump in World Championships or Olympic Games to secure the gold medal at 2.05m with a new Olympic record. Niki Bakogianni of Greece and Inha Babakova of Ukraine secured the silver and bronze medals.
After 8 years, at Athens 2004 Olympics, Yelena Slesarenko of Russia with a jump of 2.06m won the women’s high jump gold medal dispossessing Kostadinova of her Olympic record in the event.
International Career
In 1981, she competed at the European Junior Championships but finished at the 10th position. In the following years, she started improving rapidly and displayed good potential, increasing her personal best to 2m.
At the 1984 Friendship Games in Prague, Czechoslovakia she cleared 1.93m to secure the fourth place. In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Stefka Kostadinova didn’t get the opportunity to showcase her talent due to the Eastern Bloc’s boycott.
In 1985, she rose to prominence as one of the world’s best women athletes in high jump event, and won all of her 25 high jump competitions that year. She won the gold medal at the inaugural 1985 World Indoor Athletics Championship, held in Paris, France clearing 1.97m and at the 1985 European Athletics Indoor Championships, held in Pireaus, Greece with a height of 1.97m. Also, she won the gold medal at the 1985 World Cup in Canberra, Australia with a leap of 2.0m.
In 1986, she won the gold medal at the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart, Germany with a leap of 2.00m, and also won the gold at the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow, Soviet Union clearing 2.03m.
In 1987, she cleared 2.05m and went on to win the gold at the 1987 World Indoor Championships at Indianapolis, United States. The same year, she also emerged victorious with a gold medal at the 1987 European Athletics Indoor Championships, held in Lievin France with a height of 1.97m.
The year 1987 was a highly productive one for her. On August 30, 1987 she won the gold medal at the World Athletic Championships in Rome, Italy setting the current world record of 2.09m. In 1988, she won the European Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary clearing 2.04m.
In 1988, she participated in the Seoul Olympics and won the silver medal clearing 2.01m. The following year, although she bounced back at the World Indoor Championships to win her third consecutive world title.
After that she suffered a series of knee and foot injuries that kept her from competing for the better part of two years. In 1989, she claimed the World Indoor Championships title in Budapest, Hungary clearing 2.02m.
In 1990, she broke a bone in her left foot and was unable to defend her European title that year as well as her World Indoor title in early 1991. Despite these setbacks, she quickly regained most of her form in the 1991 outdoor season. But, her performance at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo was somewhat disappointing, when she finished sixth with a best jump of 1.93m.
Her disappointing form continued in the Barcelona 1992 Olympics where she finished at the fourth position with a height of 1.94m. Also, at the 1992 European Indoor Championships in Genoa, Italy she could win only the second place with 2.02m. In 1993, she overcame that defeat at Toronto where she won her fourth World Indoor Championship title. At the 1993 World Championships she was 15 with a height of 1.90m.
In 1994, she missed most of the competitive season being on maternity leave until January 1995. Although she did not resume competition until July that year, she won the gold medal at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg.
She regained her championship form in 1993, winning her fourth world title at the World Indoor Championships in Toronto, Canada that year with a height of 2.02m. She then missed most of the 1994 competitive season due to maternity leave.
In 1994, she emerged victorious at the European Indoor Championships in Paris, France clearing 1.98m. Returning to competition in July, 1995, she took gold at the World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden with a leap of 2.01m.
On August 3, 1996 Kostadinova achieved the crowning glory when she finally managed to win the Olympic gold medal that eluded her. She reached the goal at the Atlanta Olympic Games clearing 2.05m.
In 1997, she won her fifth gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Paris, France, clearing 2.02m to become the first athlete to win the indoor title five times in a career. In 1999, she officially announced her retirement and put an end to her athletic career. Kostadinova was voted Sportsperson of the Year in Bulgaria four times (1985, 1987, 1995 and 1996).
Personal Life and Legacy
During her career, Kostadinova set seven world records - three outdoors and four indoors, won two outdoor world championships (1987 and 1995), one European championship (1986), five world indoor championship titles (1985, 1987, 1989, 1993 and 1997) and the 1996 Olympic gold medal, after having finished second at the 1988 Games and fourth in Barcelona 1992.
Kostadinova was world-ranked in the top 10 for 13 years, from 1984-97, missing only 1990, and was ranked #1 in the world six times – 1985-88, 1993, and 1996. Kostadinova won the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, setting an Olympic record of 2.05 m. She also won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Stefka Kostadinova tied the knot with her long-standing coach named Nikolay Petrov in 1989. The two were blessed with their first-born son, Nikolai, just several months before winning gold in the 1995 World Championships in Athletics.
Their marriage was however not successful as they went separate ways in 1999. The same year she officially put an end to her athletic career, though she had actually not participated in any major sports competition since the World Indoors Championship in 1997. In 2007, Kostadinova married her companion of some nine years, a businessman in the construction industry, Nikolai Popvasilev.
After ending her active career Kostadinova became a noted sports administrator, becoming vice-president of the Bulgarian Athletics Federation, vice president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee and was deputy sports minister of Bulgaria from 2003 through 2005.
On November 11, 2005 Kostadinova was elected president of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. She replaced Ivan Slavkov, who was expelled by the International Olympic Committee for violating its standards in ethics. Now aged 40, she is the first woman President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee.
After meeting IOC President Jacques Rogge at the IOC headquarters in Vidy, Stefka Kostadinova, the new President of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, visited the Olympic Museum. Arriving in front of the Museum entrance, Stefka Kostadinova could see the exact replica (fibre glass uprights and bar) of her two high jump records: 2.09m at the world championships and 2.05m at the Olympic Games.
And her world record still stands today. The former athlete was moved and proud to learn that many visitors have their photograph taken with their arms raised towards her incredible 2.09m record. In the philatelic area, she was surprised to discover a block of four stamps with her picture on them, which Bulgaria issued for the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
Her world record of 2.09 m set at 1987 World Athletics Championship, held in Rome, still remains unbeaten and is one of the longest standing athletics records ever. Stefka Kostadinova jumped over 2 meters more than 197 times a career world record unmatched by any other athlete so far. She is an icon in European Championships as she took home gold in all competitions she participated in.
Owing to her highly successful athletic career, Kostadinova was crowned Bulgaria’s Sportsperson in the years of 1985, 1987, 1995 and 1996. She was 4 Time Bulgarian Athlete of the Year (1985, 1987, 1995 and 1996), 5 Time Balkan Athlete of the Year (1985, 1987, 1995, 1996 and 1997) and included in the Top 10 of the Twentieth Century Female Athletes, according to the International Athletics Federation. She was inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame in 2012.
(The author is an Associate Professor, International Scholar, winner of Presidential Awards and multiple National Accolades for Academic pursuits. He possesses a PhD, MPhil and double MSc. His email is [email protected])