Jolanda Čeplak
Template:Short description Template:MedalTableTop Template:MedalSport Template:MedalCountry Template:MedalCompetition Template:MedalBronze Template:MedalCompetition Template:MedalSilver Template:MedalCompetition Template:MedalGold Template:MedalCompetition Template:MedalGold Template:MedalBronze Template:MedalBottom Jolanda Batagelj (previously known as Jolanda Čeplak Template:Audio until 2002, born Jolanda Steblovnik on 12 September 1976) is a Slovenian middle distance athlete. She was born in Celje and lived in Velenje until briefly moving to Monaco. She has lived in Celje since.
Running career
In her early career, she did not specialise, and ran at many distances. She later settled on the 800 metres where she found relative success on the IAAF Golden League circuit, despite having to compete against Maria de Lurdes Mutola, who went unbeaten at all major championships from 1999 until the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Her most successful season was 2002. On 2 March at the European Indoor Championships in Vienna she beat local favourite Stephanie Graf and set the indoor world record at 1:55.82. In the same year at the European Championships in Munich she became the European champion.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Čeplak finished very strongly in the 800 m but could not quite catch winner Kelly Holmes and finished with exactly the same time as Hasna Benhassi. A photo-finish showed her in third-place, winning the bronze medal.
PED use and suspension
On 18 June 2007, Čeplak tested positive on erythropoietin. On 26 July, IAAF announced that the B test confirmed the result of the A test.<ref name="bbcarticle">Template:Cite news</ref> Čeplak said that she has never taken any illegal substances and would try to prove her innocence with all means possible.<ref name="runnersworldarticle">Template:Cite news</ref> She received a two-year suspension, and returned to competition in July 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web She finished her international career in September 2009.</ref>
Personal life
After a divorce from Aleš Čeplak in 2007, she married triple jumper Andrej Batagelj from Nova Gorica in 2009. They live in Celje.
Major achievements
- 2002
- European Indoor Championships – Vienna, Austria.
- 800 m gold medal and world record
- European Championships – Munich, Germany.
- 800 m gold medal
- IAAF World Cup - Madrid, Spain.
- 800 m bronze medal
- European Cup B League Final – Banská Bystrica, Slovakia.
- 800 m gold medal
- European Indoor Championships – Vienna, Austria.
- 2003
- 2004
- 2004 Summer Olympics – Athens, Greece.
- 800 m bronze medal
- World Indoor Championships – Budapest, Hungary.
- 800 m silver medal
- 2004 Summer Olympics – Athens, Greece.
- 2007
- European Indoor Championships – Birmingham, England.
- 800 m bronze medal
- European Indoor Championships – Birmingham, England.
See also
References
External links
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Template:Footer European Champions 800 m Women Template:Footer European Indoor Champions 800m Women Template:Slovenian Sportswoman of the Year Template:Footer WBYP 800m Women
- 1976 births
- Living people
- Slovenian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco
- Slovenian women middle-distance runners
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes for Slovenia
- Olympic bronze medalists for Slovenia
- Doping cases in the sport of athletics
- Slovenian sportspeople in doping cases
- Sportspeople from Celje
- People from Monte Carlo
- European Athletics Championships medalists
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic bronze medalists in athletics
- World Athletics indoor record holders
- Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Slovenia
- Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1997 Mediterranean Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2001 Mediterranean Games