High Jump, Women

Croatian Blanka Vlašić had been the world’s top high jumper over the last few years, winning silver at Beijing, and the 2011 World Championships, after winning the 2007 and 2009 Worlds. But she was out of the Olympics in 2012 with an injury, opening it up a little bit. The surprise Beijing gold medalist had been Belgian Tia Hellebaut, who promptly retired to have a baby, but she returned to jumping in late 2011, although she was less of a factor. With those two not available at top form, the favorite going in was Anna Chicherova, the Russian who had won the 2011 Worlds. Her biggest competition was expected to be American Chaunté Lowe.

In the end it was all Chicherova who started with an opening clearance at 1.89, and was perfect through 2.03. Lowe struggled, going out at 2.00 and would finish only sixth due to misses. Surprising young American Brigetta Barrett cleared 2.03 on her second attempt, to place her second at that time, and Russian Svetlana Shkolina also cleared, on her third attempt, placing her third. All three attempted 2.05, but only Chicherova was successful, after one miss, giving her the gold medal. Barrett secured the silver and Shkolina the bronze. Hellebaut placed fifth.

In February 2019 the bronze medalist, Svetlana Shkolina (RUS), was disqualified by a ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for an anti-doping rules violation (ADRV). In November 2021 the IOC announced that Spain’s Ruth Beitía had been advanced to the bronze medal position.