Ivana Španović
Vuleta in 2022
Personal information
Birth nameIvana Španović
NationalitySerbian
Born (1990-05-10) 10 May 1990[1]
Zrenjanin, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia[1]
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight65 kg (143 lb)[1]
Sport
CountrySerbia
SportTrack and field
EventLong jump
ClubAK Vojvodina
Coached byGoran Obradović
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals
  • 2008 Beijing
  • Long jump, 30th (q)
  • 2012 London
  • Long jump, 8th
  • 2016 Rio de Janeiro
  • Long jump,  Bronze
  • 2020 Tokyo
  • Long jump, 4th
World finals
  • 2013 Moscow
  • Long jump,  Bronze
  • 2015 Beijing
  • Long jump,  Bronze
  • 2017 London
  • Long jump, 4th
  • 2022 Eugene
  • Long jump, 7th
  • 2023 Budapest
  • Long jump,  Gold
Highest world ranking1st (2023)[2]
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Serbia
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 0 0 1
World Championships 1 0 2
World Indoor Championships 2 1 1
European Championships 2 1 0
European Indoor Championships 3 0 1
Total 8 2 5
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2016 Rio de JaneiroLong jump
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2023 BudapestLong jump
Bronze medal – third place2013 MoscowLong jump
Bronze medal – third place2015 BeijingLong jump
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2018 BirminghamLong jump
Gold medal – first place2022 BelgradeLong jump
Silver medal – second place2016 PortlandLong jump
Bronze medal – third place2014 SopotLong jump
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2016 AmsterdamLong jump
Gold medal – first place2022 MunichLong jump
Silver medal – second place2014 ZürichLong jump
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 PragueLong jump
Gold medal – first place2017 BelgradeLong jump
Gold medal – first place2019 GlasgowLong jump
Bronze medal – third place2023 IstanbulLong jump
Diamond League
First place2016Long jump
First place2017Long jump
First place2021Long jump
First place2022Long jump
First place2023Long jump
Continental Cup
Silver medal – second place2014 MarrakechLong jump
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place2018 TarragonaLong jump
Universiade
Gold medal – first place2009 BelgradeLong jump
European Athletics U23 Championships
Silver medal – second place2011 OstravaLong jump
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2008 BydgoszczLong jump
European Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2009 Novi SadLong jump
World Youth Championships
Silver medal – second place2007 OstravaLong jump
European Youth Olympic Festival
Silver medal – second place2007 BelgradeLong jump
Bronze medal – third place2007 Belgrade4x100 m relay

Ivana Španović[3] (Serbian Cyrillic: Ивана Шпановић, [ǐʋana ʃpǎːnoʋit͡ɕ]; formerly Vuleta, Serbian Cyrillic: Вулета; born 10 May 1990) is a Serbian long jumper, the 2023 World champion, a two-time World indoor champion, a two-time European champion, a three-time European indoor champion and a five-time Diamond League Trophy Winner. Considering her achievements and longevity, Ivana Španović is regarded as one of the best all-time female long jumpers, with her indoor 7.24m jump ranked 3rd in all-time records.[4]

In 2013, Španović became the first Serbian track and field athlete to win a medal at the World Championships in Athletics. In 2018, she became the first Serbian track and field athlete to win a senior gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Athletics. In 2023, she became the first Serbian track and field athlete to win a senior gold medal at the World Outdoor Championship in Athletics. During her 15 years long career, she successfully claimed both outdoor and indoor European and World titles. She is the Serbian record holder in the long jump, indoors and outdoors, and also she is the national indoor record holder in the 60 metres and in the pentathlon. Her coach is Goran Obradović and she is a member of the Vojvodina Athletic Club, based in Novi Sad.[5]

Career

Španović (L) on the podium at the 2011 European U23 Championships

2005–2012

Španović earned gold medals at the 2008 World Junior Championships and the 2009 Summer Universiade. She was selected as Serbia's Best Young Athlete of 2008. She also won silver medals at the 2007 World Youth Championships, the 2009 European Junior Championships and the 2011 European U23 Championships.

Španović participated in the qualifying round at the 2008 Olympic Games, and was a finalist at the 2012 Olympic Games.

2013

In 2013, she started at the European Indoor Championship when she was ranked fifth. At the World outdoor championship she had achieved the best result in her career by then, bronze medal with the new national record 6.82 meters, getting the first medal for Serbia in an outdoor World Championships. The Olympic Committee of Serbia therefore declared her the best female athlete of the year.

2014–2015

Španović at the 2014 European Championships in Zürich

In 2014, she won the bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships and silver medals at the European Outdoor championship and IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakesh. She also improved her outdoor personal best on 6.88 meters in the Diamond League meet in Eugene. Španović was second in long jump at 2014 Diamond League race.

In 2015, she won her first gold medal as a senior athlete becoming European indoor champion with new national record 6.98 meters. She won the second bronze medal at the World outdoor championship, improving her national record twice, both in qualification (6.91) and the final (7.01 got twice). Španović was second in long jump at 2015 Diamond League race. The Olympic Committee of Serbia therefore declared her the best female athlete of the year for the second time.

2016

During the indoor season, Španović won the silver medal at the World Indoor Championships improving her national record twice, 7.00 (at first round) and 7.07 (at fifth round). She was ahead for all the competition but she lost the gold medal because Reese had a fantastic 7.22 at the final round. During the outdoor, first Španović won the gold at the European Outdoor championship with 6.94, then she won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games with 7.08, new national record. Španović won for Serbia a medal in athletics at Olympic Games 60 years after the last medal. Španović clearly won 2016 Diamond League race in long jump. She won 5 of 7 meetings (a new record for Diamond League in long jump because before her none won more than 4 meetings in a year) and she was second in the other two ones. At the end of her long season, Španović improved her national record to 7.10 in a street meeting in front of her home fans in Belgrade on September 11. This manifestation was held to promote 2017 European Indoor Championships in Belgrade.

2017

In 2017, she had an impressive win at European indoor championships in Belgrade. During the qualification she achieved the best ever indoor mark in a qualification round with 7.03. In the final she broke her national records twice, 7.16 (at second round) and 7.24 (at third round). So, she defended her gold medal got in 2015. Her new national record, 7.24, put her as the third all-time indoor performers, and result is the second best ever jumped in the European Indoor Championships (after Drechsler's 7.30 in 1988) and the best performance got in the latest 18 years, since Chistyakova has jumped 7.30 on 28.01.1989. During the outdoor season, she had injuries so before the World outdoor championships she competed only in two Diamond League meetings. In the 2017 World outdoor championships, she led in the first part of the competition, but was 4th before her last attempt. With her final jump, Spanović seemed to clear the 7.02 mark of the leading, Brittney Reese, and tensely awaited the measurement but was awarded only 6.91. The Serbian team appealed with the slow motion showing that the indentation in the sand nearest to the board was made by the flapping bib number on her back. Eventually, the appeal was dismissed and she was ranked 4th with 6.96, behind Reese’s 7.02, Klishina’s 7.00 and Bartoletta’s 6.97. After World Championships Spanović won 2017 Diamond League race in long jump for the second consecutive time.

2018–2019

In 2018, she achieved the first world title, winning the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham with 6.96. Reese was 2nd with 6.89 and Moguenara 3rd with 6.85. Španović is the first Serbian athlete to win a world senior title in athletics. After Španović won the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games in Tarragona with the Games record (7.04 windy and 6.99 regular), she got the best performance in the qualification at European Championships in Berlin. But an injury during the qualification forced her to give up the final and to defend her title. Her 6.84 got in qualification was better than the performance got by Mihambo (6.75) to win the gold medal, so it was the best result in the competition. The injury at Achille's tendon forced Španović to give up the final part of the season, included 2018 Diamond League race in which she qualified for the final.

In 2019, Španović, recovered by the injury of the previous summer, won gold medal at European indoor championships in Glasgow with 6.99. She matched the world indoor leading mark of 6.99 to emulate Heike Drechsler (1986–1988) as a three times in a row winner, but she got it in editions held every two years (2015–2017–2019). During the summer Španović had various injuries, including the one at ISTAF Berlin meeting, and was forced to forfeit the World Championships in Doha.

2020–2021

In 2020, Španović, bothered by a metatarsal bone fracture in June, decided to end her season already in August. She planned to compete at the European Indoor Championships next year, but not at the World Indoor Championships two weeks later. During the year, she had only one competition 6.80/0.8 long jump on June 6 in Novi Sad.

In 2021, Španović injured her right leg in the last training before leaving to Toruń and was forced to skip European Indoor Championships in which she would be trying to win a record fourth successive title. Recovered by the injury, in the outdoor season, she had two successes in the 2021 Diamond League race at the Golden Gala in Florence and at the DN Galan in Stockholm and one second place at Bislett Games in Oslo, before competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the Games, she got the best performance in the qualification (7.00), measure which would have allowed her to win the gold medal in the final. But she jumped only 6.91 in the final and finished fourth. After the disappointment of the Olympic Games, Španović had another success in the Diamond League event at the Athletissima in Lausanne. At least she had a success at the Weltklasse Zürich final, with a result of 6.96. So she won for the third time the long jump in the Diamond League, the most victories in this event.

2022–present

Vuleta at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade

In 2022, Španović, now Vuleta, retained her title at the World Indoor Championships held in Belgrade. She triumphed with 7.06, the best performance of the 2022 indoor season. She gained the fourth consecutive medal in the event: bronze in 2014, silver in 2016, gold in 2018 and gold in 2022. After a disappointing 7th place at World outdoor championships in Eugene, but with a millimeter foul, enough for a medal, she had a brilliant final of the season. First she won the gold medal at European Championships in Munich with a 7.06 jump, the best one in European Championships from 1998. She achieved 7.06 at the first attempt and it was the first jump over 7.00 at European Championships in the 21st century. After her seventh gold medal at a major championships, Španović-Vuleta won the final of 2022 Diamond League race in Zürich, with a result of 6.97, once again got on her first jump. So she won for the fourth time the long jump in the Diamond League, the most victories in this event. The Olympic Committee of Serbia therefore declared her Sportswoman of The Year for the third time. Her 2023 season was one to remember. In March, Vuleta took part in the European Indoor Championship in Athletics where she finished 3rd with 6.91. In august, Vuleta completed her long lasting dream of becoming the outdoor World Champion by winning gold medal at the World Outdoor Championship in Athletics with a 7.14 mark. She got the first gold medal for Serbia in an outdoor World Championships. In September, Vuleta announced her retirement from the athletics following the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.[6] After her eighth gold medal at a major championships, Španović-Vuleta won the final of 2023 Diamond League race in Eugene, with a result of 6.85. So she won for the fifth time the long jump in the Diamond League, the most victories in this event. Previously she won another Diamong League meeting in Xiamen.

Vuleta has achieved nineteen victories in the IAAF Diamond League circuit, a record in women long jump. Also, she has achieved two victories in the IAAF World Challenge circuit, at the ISTAF Berlin in 2015 and at the Hanžeković Memorial with 6.96, a new meeting record, in 2016. Since the 2013 World Championship, Vuleta has won overall 15 medals in all major events.

She set 31 national senior records: 13 outdoors (all in long jump), 18 indoors (16 in long jump, one in 60m and one in pentathlon).

Achievements

Personal bests

Outdoor
EventPerformanceDateLocationNotes
100 m11.9018 May 2013Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia
Long jump7.14 m (23 ft 5 in)20 August 2023Budapest, HungaryNR
Triple jump14.24 m (46 ft 8+1⁄2 in)18 June 2022Craiova, Romania
Indoor
EventPerformanceDateLocationNotes
60 m7.3131 January 2015Novi Sad, SerbiaNR
Long jump7.24 m (23 ft 9 in)5 March 2017Belgrade, SerbiaNR
Pentathlon4240 pts19 January 2013Novi Sad, SerbiaNR

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventResult
Representing  Serbia and Montenegro
2005 World Youth Championships Marrakech, Morocco 16th (q) Long jump 5.97 m
Representing  Serbia
2006 World Junior Championships Beijing, China 7th Long jump 6.23 m (wind: 0.0 m/s)
2007
European Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 18th (q) Long jump 6.18 m
World Youth Championships Ostrava, Czech Republic 2nd Long jump 6.41 m (wind: +0.5 m/s)
European Junior Championships Hengelo, Netherlands 5 Long jump 6.22 m (wind: −0.2 m/s)
European Youth Olympic Festival Belgrade, Serbia 2nd Long jump 6.20 m (wind: −0.1 m/s)
3rd 4 × 100 m relay 46.85 s
2008
World Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 1st Long jump 6.61 m (wind: +1.3 m/s)
Olympic Games Beijing, China 30th (q) Long jump 6.30 m (wind: +1.8 m/s)
2009
Universiade Belgrade, Serbia 1st Long jump 6.64 m (wind: 0.0 m/s)
European Junior Championships Novi Sad, Serbia 2nd Long jump 6.71 m (wind: −0.1 m/s) NJR NR
2010
European Championships Barcelona, Spain 8th Long jump 6.60 m (wind: −0.3 m/s)
2011 European U23 Championships Ostrava, Czech Republic 2nd Long jump 6.74 m w (wind: +3.2 m/s)
2012 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 15th (q) Long jump 6.33 m (wind: +0.1 m/s)
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 10th Long jump 6.35 m (wind: +0.9 m/s)
2013 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 5th Long jump 6.68 m
World Championships Moscow, Russia 3rd Long jump 6.82 m NR (wind: +0.1 m/s)[7]
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 3rd Long jump 6.77 m[8]
European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 2nd Long jump 6.81 m (wind: −1.6 m/s)
Continental Cup Marrakech, Morocco 2nd Long jump 6.56 m (wind: −0.1 m/s)
2015 European Indoor Championships Prague, Czech Republic 1st Long jump 6.98 m NR
World Championships Beijing, China 3rd Long jump 7.01 m NR (wind: +0.6 m/s)[9]
2016 World Indoor Championships Portland, OR, United States 2nd Long jump 7.07 m NR[10]
European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 1st Long jump 6.94 m (wind: +0.9 m/s)[11]
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3rd Long jump 7.08 m NR (wind: +0.6 m/s)[12]
2017 European Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 1st Long jump 7.24 m NR[13]
World Championships London, United Kingdom 4th Long jump 6.96 m (wind: +0.1 m/s)[14]
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st Long jump 6.96 m[15]
Mediterranean Games Tarragona, Spain 1st Long jump 7.04 m (wind: +2.2 m/s) w
6.99 m (wind: +1.8 m/s) GR[16]
European Championships Berlin, Germany 1st (q) Long jump 6.84 m1
2019 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 1st Long jump 6.99 m[17]
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 4th Long jump 6.91 m (wind: −0.4 m/s)[18]
2022 World Indoor Championships Belgrade, Serbia 1st Long jump 7.06 m[19]
World Championships Eugene, OR, United States 7th Long jump 6.84 m (wind: +0.6 m/s)[20]
European Championships München, Germany 1st Long jump 7.06 m (wind: +0.3 m/s)[21]
2023 European Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 3rd Long jump 6.91 m
World Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st Long jump 7.14 m[22]

1Did not start in the final

Circuit wins and titles

National titles

  • Serbian Athletics Championships
    • Long jump: 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019
  • Serbian Indoor Athletics Championships
    • 60 metres: 2015
    • Long jump: 2013, 2015, 2021, 2022

Honours

Personal life

Ivana's parents are Ljubiša and Vesna Španović. Her mother was also a competitive athlete. She favors a distinctive and playful personal style. Even on the field she can be seen fiercely competing with her fellow elite athletes while sporting fashionable nails, often polished in neon colours.[25]

Španović married fitness nutritionist Marko Vuleta in September 2021. She officially adopted her husband's last name upon marriage. They filed for divorce in December 2023.[26]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Ivana Španović". Olympedia.org. OlyMADmen. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. ↑ https://worldathletics.org/world-rankings/long-jump/women?regionType=world&page=1&rankDate=2023-12-26
  3. ↑ "Razvodi se Ivana Španović, ovo je poslednja zajednička fotografija sa Markom Vuletom". City Magazine. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  4. ↑ https://www.statista.com/statistics/1048344/best-all-time-athletes-womens-long-jump-indoor/
  5. ↑ AK 'Vojvodina' od nastanka do danas [AK 'Vojvodina' from its inception until today]. AK Vojvodina (in Serbian). 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  6. ↑ https://www.telegraf.rs/sport/atletika/3739656-ivana-vuleta-najavila-kraj-karijere
  7. ↑ "Long Jump Women". IAAF World Championships. 11 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "Long Jump Women". IAAF World Indoor Championships. 9 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  9. ↑ "Long Jump Women". IAAF World Championships. 28 August 2015. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Long Jump Women". IAAF World Indoor Championships. 18 March 2016. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  11. ↑ "Long Jump Women". European Athletics Championships - Amsterdam 2016. 8 July 2016. Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Long Jump Women". Olympic Games - Rio de Janeiro 2016. 17 August 2016. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "Long Jump Women" (PDF). European Athletics Indoor Championships - Belgrade 2017. 5 March 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Long Jump Women". IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS LONDON 2017. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Long Jump Women". IAAF World Indoor Championships. 4 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "Long Jump Women" (PDF). MEDITERRANEAN GAMES 2018. 27 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  17. ↑ "Long Jump Women" (PDF). European Athletics Indoor Championships - Glasgow 2019. 3 March 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  18. ↑ "Long Jump Women". 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  19. ↑ "Long Jump pWomen". 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  20. ↑ Final Results
  21. ↑ "Long Jump Women". Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "Long Jump Women". Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  23. ↑ "Tomislav Nikolić povodom Dana državnosti odlikovao 84 ličnosti i institucije". Blic. 13 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  24. ↑ "Dodik odlikovao Ivanu Španović". herceg.tv (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  25. ↑ Ivana Španović i nokti kao imidž [Ivana Španović and nails as an image]. Telegraf (in Serbian). 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "Udala se Ivana Španović i promenila prezime: Pojavile se prve slike sa bajkovitog venčanja na ranču". Telegraf. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
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