Vita Barbić
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| Born | 13 August 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Javelin throw, Discus throw | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | Javelin: 56.04m (2023) Discus: 49.50m (2024) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Vita Barbić (born 13 August 2007) is a Croatian javelin and discus thrower. She won gold in the javelin and bronze in the discus at the 2024 European Athletics U18 Championships.[1]
Early life
She started training in athletics at the age of six years-old after being encouraged to try it by her older sister. She hugely admired Sandra Perković when she was growing up. She was a student at the Vladimir Prelog School of Natural Sciences in Zagreb.[2][3]
Career
She won the javelin throw at the 2023 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Maribor, with a throw of 60.48 metres, which set a new EYOF record in the javelin throw (500 g).[4] She won the Croatian national junior titles in the discus throw (43.50m) and the javelin throw where she also threw a new personal best of 52.97m, in June 2023. She was also just three centimetres from a third gold as she won the silver medal in the shot put with a new personal record of 12.58m.[5] She placed fourth in the javelin at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships competing as a 15-year-old.[6][7]
At the 2024 Balkan U18 Championships in Maribor, Barbic moved top of the European U18 list with 57.81m throw in the 500g javelin.[8]
She won gold in the javelin, and bronze in the discus, at the 2024 European Athletics U18 Championships.[9] She finished fourth in the javelin at the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru in August 2024.[10] The European Athletics Federation nominated her for the European Young Athlete of the Year award for 2024.[11]
Personal life
Her older sister, Klara, is a high and triple jumper who broke the Cristian junior high jump record and began studying and competing for Harvard University in 2023.[2][12]
In January 2025, she appeared in European Athletics documentary series My Fire.[13]
References
- ^ "Vita Barbić". World Athletics. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ a b "European U18 champion Barbic has dual throwing ambitions". European Athletics. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ Strizic, Ana (July 24, 2024). "She's not even 17 yet, and she won 2 medals in one day : "As a little girl, I wanted to be like Sandra"". Gloria.hr. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ "Gold medals for Vita Barbić and Mia Wild, who received the medal after four hours of deliberation and appeals". Sportske.Jutarnji.hr. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ "Croatian Junior Championship: Vita Barbić wins two gold medals, one silver medal". ak-dinamo.hr. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ "Balkan champion Barbic aims for a continental U18 crown". European Athletics. 14 July 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "10 stars to watch in Banska Bystrica 2024". European Athletics. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Who to watch in Banska Bystrica? National U18 Championships roundup". European Athletics. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "Barbic sets world U18 javelin lead as she wins unique gold and bronze in Banska Bystrica". European Athletics. 21 July 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "World Athletics U20 Championships". World Athletics. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ "Nominees revealed! Vote for 2024 women's Rising Star". European Athletics. 20 September 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ "Although he has seven medals, he is not allowed to train due to epidemiological measures: "I can't watch my life pass by in depression". srednja.hr. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
- ^ "Throws prospect Barbic featured on My Fire documentary". European Athletics. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 8 April 2025.