Sara Kolak Wins European Javelin Title, First Major Medal in a Decade

Croatian javelin thrower Sara Kolak captured the European Championship title in Birmingham with a dominant performance, throwing 62.43 meters on her first attempt in the final.

This gold medal represents a significant comeback for Kolak, marking her first major championship medal in exactly a decade. Her previous career highlight was winning Olympic gold at the Rio 2016 Games. After navigating the qualifying rounds smoothly, Kolak delivered a throw in the final that matched her season's best, proving unattainable for her competitors.

Kolak's achievement adds to her European Championship accolades; she previously won a bronze medal in Amsterdam in 2016. She also holds two fourth-place finishes from major competitions, including the 2017 World Championships in London and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In Birmingham, Germany's Julia Ulbricht secured the silver medal with a throw of 61.53 meters, while Serbia's Adriana Vilagoš claimed the bronze with 60.93 meters. Kolak's victory has resonated beyond the competition, with reports highlighting her journey and the support she received, including a javelin gifted by fellow Croatian athlete Sandra Perković.

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She won a junior bronze, and didn't have her own javelin. Since Thorkildsen was her favorite thrower, I bought her his javelin, had a case made with 'Sara Kolak Croatia' on it, and got Thorkildsen's autograph to be an additional motivation.