BEITIA’S FIRST GLOBAL WIN
SPANIARD HAS A FAULTLESS PERFORMANCE TO BECOME OLDEST OLYMPIC JUMPS CHAMPION
JW
HIGH JUMP
ON HER 21st attempt at a global title since finishing eighth in the 1998 World Junior Championships, Spain’s Ruth Beitia finally took the gold.
Clearing 1.97m after enjoying a faultless performance up to that height, the 37-yearold won on countback ahead of Bulgaria’s surprise silver medallist Mirela Demireva and Croatia’s Blanka Vlašic to become the oldest jumps champion in Olympic history.
Since briefly retiring after London 2012, Beitia had gone on to claim world bronze, two European golds, European indoor gold, a world indoor bronze and world indoor silver. Now to that list she adds an Olympic title.