As she stepped up to make her final throw in the discus final at the Stadio Olimpico, Sandra Elkasevic, who won six European titles under her maiden name of Perkovic, already knew she had amassed a record seventh individual European title. But it was only after she had seen the disc land that she felt it – and the tears came like a tide.
“I never think about the end when I am competing, but when I knew I am European champion for the seventh time I couldn’t keep a check on my emotions,” she said after a medal ceremony where there had been only joy and satisfaction.
“I have been winning this title for 14 years, and I was remembering when I won the first one in Barcelona in 2010 when I was very young. And now in 2024 I am still here. This is not my end. I am still chasing medals, looking forward for more success.
“But each European medal is very special for me. When I started to break the record it was like, nobody else has four, and now I have five, six, seven. I’m going to keep going because I am healthy and I really love this track and field. This is my life, and my purpose in life.
“My coach Edis, who is now my husband and I are looking and dreaming for some big throws also. We are constantly changing the goals we are chasing for, and I think it is great and I am really enjoying the process.”
After Roma success, Elkasevic looks to Paris and beyond
Now 33, Elkasevic has amassed a dizzying collection of gold medals. Apart from her seven European golds she has two world titles and two Olympic golds from 2012 and 2016 as well as six Diamond League titles.
Asked how this victory in a season’s best of 67.04m, achieved with her first throw, had set her up for a fourth Olympic challenge later this summer – she finished a tantalising fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Games – she responded:
“The European Championship was my first goal for this season and now I have won the gold medal I was chasing. The next goal is a medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. This was a good win because I got so much power.
“Last year I was struggling after the World Championships. I didn’t win a medal and I was a little disappointed because I was injured all last season. I managed to get back into shape but unfortunately I couldn’t throw my best and it was a really, really tough period for me.
“But now I am back and I’m looking forward to competing in Paris. These will be my fourth Olympics and I have already won two golds. I know the girls there will be strong, but the girls here were strong as well so I want to be the best. So this was a very important result for the Olympics.”
Elkasevic: "I am stronger than ever"
Elkasevic has had to recover from numerous setbacks in her career – most seriously in 2009 when she suffered near-fatal sepsis from a burst appendix and required two emergency operations.
She lost 15 kilograms (33lb) in weight and was not expected to return to full training until the end of the year. Three months later she won the European U20 title in a national record of 62.44m and her winning margin of 7.33m was the largest ever recorded in the Championships.
Did she feel it was a case of “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?”
“That’s true,” she said. “And I’m stronger than ever!
“I always know that in every moment I am capable of throwing far. That’s the reason I was so disappointed last year at the World Championships because I felt I should have been standing on one of the positions on the podium.”
Turning back to her previous day’s victory, she explained that she felt she had to put in a big throw early because of concerns about the state of the throwing circle. “I wanted to do it fast and let my coach just sit and relax and enjoy the competition!” she said.
Elkasevic became a member of the Croatian Parliament after the 2015 general election and was an MP for a year. She revealed that she has ambitions to return to the political arena.
“I think I will stay in the sport and I also want to support the younger generation not to have a path like we did and maybe learn something from me.
“I have been to a lot of major championships and I have struggled through many things like injuries, travel problems - so I can give them some good advice.
“But one day maybe I think I am going to be back in our Government because it is always good to have people who are the best at what they do and I am the best in sports and I can for sure give them some advice about how we can manage and improve our sport.
“Even though sport in Croatia is on a very high level, especially as we have a population of only four and a half million.”
Thumping her chest, she added: “Because of the heart, I think!” The time and attention she gave to every fan and in particular every young fan asking for autographs and pictures after her medal ceremony certainly spoke of a person committed to improving the legacy of her sport.
An advocate for field events
She has always been an outspoken advocate over the need for field events to have parity with those on the track, once being involved in a memorable Diamond League press conference with New Zealand’s double Olympic shot put champion Valerie Adams sitting alongside her where both fired from the hip on the topic before commenting wryly as they left that that would probably be the last such event they would be asked to take part in…
“I think what I am doing is helping a lot, because when I was walking outside a lot of people stopped me and they all knew I was seven-times European champion and that is important for the young girls to know that they can be like this too, if they want to be in discus or shot put or other field events.
Meanwhile she was turning her mind to the next part of her time in Rome.
“I know Rome well because I love Italy very much. I love the country, the food, the coast is amazing. One day I want to go to Sicily for a summer holiday.
“Tomorrow I will visit the Vatican and thank God; he managed to give me all the power and I want to say thanks for what happened yesterday and also for the Olympics as well.”
Mike Rowbottom for European Athletics
