No one else in the history of the European Athletics Championships has ever won six consecutive titles. Sandra Perkovic is the only one and she isn’t satisfied yet. At the Roma European Athletics Championships, scheduled from 7-12 June at the Olympic Stadium and the Foro Italico Park, the Croatian discus thrower is confirmed to be in attendance and will be looking for her seventh gold medal in a row (tickets on sale here).
Her married surname (Elkasevic) will appear on her bib in Rome, but in the world of athletics she has become a star as Perkovic, one of the most successful athletes ever, twice Olympic champion (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and twice World champion (Moscow 2012 and London 2017).
At the European Athletics Championships, Perkovic has been undefeated since 2010: in Barcelona fourteen years ago, she began an incredible serie of triumphs, which also included Helsinki 2012, Zurich 2014, Amsterdam 2016, Berlin 2018 and Munich 2022. A record of victories indicative of a sporting continuity and results with few equals in the world.
The 33-year-old thrower will be on the piste at the Olympic Stadium in the opening morning session on Friday 7 June for the qualifying round, ahead of the medal-winning final scheduled for the evening session on Saturday 8 June. The fans has already appreciated her in Rome over the past decade on the occasion of the three triumphs obtained at the Pietro Mennea Golden Gala in the capital (2013, 2015 and 2018).
For the Italian team, the hope is that Daisy Osakue, the Italian record holder with 64.57 last season, can also play a leading role in the discus throw competition.
Credit photo: Colombo\FIDAL