Kajsa Bergqvist

Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈkǎjːsa ˈbæ̂rjkvɪst]; born 12 October 1976 in Sollentuna, Stockholm) is a Swedish former high jumper. She won one bronze medal in the Olympic Games, one gold and two bronze medals in the World Championships in Athletics and one gold and one bronze in the European Championships. Her personal outdoor record of 2.06 m (6.8 ft), set in Germany in 2003, is also a Swedish record. Her indoor record of 2.08 m (6.8 ft), set at the Hochsprung mit Musik meeting in 2006, is the world indoor record.^[2]

Kajsa Bergqvist

Kajsa Bergqvist during the Swedish Sports Awards inside the Stockholm Globe Arena in January 2013
Personal information
Full name	Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist
Born	(1976-10-12) 12 October 1976 (age 48) Sollentuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event	High jump
Retired	2007
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	High jump (outdoor): 2.06 m High jump (indoor): 2.08 m (world record) Heptathlon: 4952 points[1]
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Sweden Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 1 World Championships 1 0 2 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 European Championships 1 0 1 European Indoor Championships 1 1 0 Continental Cup 0 0 0 Total 5 1 3 Olympic Games 2000 Sydney High jump World Championships 2005 Helsinki High jump 2001 Edmonton High jump 2003 Paris High jump European Championships 2002 Munich High jump 2006 Gothenburg High jump World Indoor Championships 2001 Lisbon High jump 2003 Birmingham High jump European Indoor Championships 2000 Ghent High jump 2002 Vienna High jump World Athletics Final 2005 Monte Carlo High jump 2006 Stuttgart High jump 2003 Monte Carlo High jump
Updated on 18 August 2013

Early life

Bergqvist was born on 12 October 1976 in Sollentuna Municipality, Stockholm County.^[3]

When she was 10 years old, she was persuaded by her big brother, Anders, to compete in Rösjöloppet, a long-distance track event. After that event, she began to try out several athletic events. One of her motivational athletes was Carl Lewis.^[4]

Bergqvist continued to train in several athletic events until she was 15 years old, when a new coach, Bengt Jönsson, came to her club, Turebergs FK. Soon after his arrival, he and Bergqvist chose to concentrate on the event that was her best, high jump.^{[citation needed]}

She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas (USA) in 1995–1999, with a degree in Advertising. She was the NCAA champion in 1997 with a clearance of 1.93 m (6.3 ft) in the rain at the Indiana University over Amy Acuff of UCLA ending her streak at two. She won the NCAA meet again in 1999 with a height of 1.90 m (6.2 ft) in Boise.^[5] The same year, she tied Acuff's collegiate outdoor record of 1.98 m (6.5 ft).^[6]

In 2000, she cleared 2.00 m (6.56 ft) at the Swedish Olympic trials, tying for the year's second best record.^[7]

Athletics career

Bergqvist changed coaches from Bengt Jönsson to Yannick Tregaro in the autumn of 2003.^[8]

At a competition in Båstad, on 18 July 2004, Bergqvist tore her Achilles tendon.^[9] Due to the injury, she missed the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but managed to return to form just in time for the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki.^[10] There she edged out Chaunté Howard for the gold medal. Her Helsinki victory earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal.^[11]

In 2006, she had been ranked the number one female high jumper in the world but failed to win in that summer's European Championships in front of her home fans in Gothenburg, having to settle for a bronze medal.

At the Hochsprung mit Musik meeting in Arnstadt, Germany, on 4 February 2006, Bergqvist set her first world record: she made an indoor leap of 2.08 m (6.8 ft) on her first attempt, surpassing Heike Henkel's 2.07 m (6.8 ft) leap on 8 February 1992.^[12]

Bergqvist chose not to compete in the 2007 European Indoor Athletics Championships, opting instead, to concentrate on defending her world outdoor crown. She had not started the indoor season well and was nowhere near the form which had seen her set the world record the year before. It did not pay off as she finished 7th in Osaka.^[13]

She announced her retirement in January 2008.^[14]

Post-athletics

Since her retirement, she has been an ambassador for both UNICEF and the IAAF.^[15][16]

In 2021 Bergqvist became head coach of the Swedish national athletics team.^[17]

Personal life

Bergqvist married director Måns Herngren on New Year's Eve in 2007. The couple announced their divorce in early 2011.^[18]

In December 2011, Bergqvist confirmed in an interview that she is in a relationship with a woman and stated: "As lesbian as I feel today, as heterosexual I felt when I was together with Måns. But when I get old and look back on my life, perhaps one can think that I'm bisexual." This announcement came after a period of rumours concerning Bergqvist's personal life.^[19]

International medals

High jump

• Olympic Games
  • 2000, Sydney – 1.99 m – Bronze
• World Championships in Athletics
  • 2005, Helsinki – 2.02 m – Gold
  • 2003, Paris – 2.00 m – Bronze
  • 2001, Edmonton – 1.97 m – Bronze
• World Indoor Championships in Athletics
  • 2003, Birmingham – 2.01 m – Gold
  • 2001, Lisbon – 2.00 m – Gold
• European Athletics Championships
  • 2006, Gothenburg – 2.01 m — Bronze
  • 2002, Munich – 1.98 m — Gold
• European Indoor Athletics Championships
  • 2002, Vienna – 1.95 m – Silver
  • 2000, Ghent – 2.00 m – Gold
• 1997, Turku – 1.93 m – Silver
• World Junior Championships in Athletics
  • 1994 Lisbon – 1.88 m – Silver
• European Athletics Junior Championships
  • 1995, Nyíregyháza – 1.89 m – Silver

Other victories

High jump

• 1997: Bloomington, IN NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship – 1.93 m
• 1999: Boise, ID NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship – 1.90m
• 1999: Brussels (Golden League) – 1.97 m
• 2000: Stockholm (Grand Prix) – 1.96 m
• 2001: Vaasa (European Cup first league) – 1.92 m; Rome (Golden League) – 1.98 m; Monaco (Golden League) – 1.99 m; Berlin (Golden League) – 1.96 m
• 2002: Seville (European Cup first league) – 1.98 m; Lausanne (Grand Prix) – 2.04 m; Paris Saint-Denis (Golden League-meet) – 1.97 m; Stockholm (Grand Prix) – 2.00 m; Brussels (Golden League-meet) – 1.99 m
• 2003: Ostrava (Grand Prix) – 2.01 m; Lappeenranta (European Cup first league) – 1.96 m; Internationales Hochsprung-Meeting Eberstadt – 2.06 m (outdoor personal best)
• 2005: Gävle (European Cup first league) – 2.01 m; Zagreb (Grand Prix) – 2.00 m; Madrid (Grand Prix) – 1.98 m; Stockholm (Grand Prix) – 1.95 m; Sheffield (Grand Prix) – 2.03 m; Monaco (World Athletics Final) – 2.00 m
• 2006: Doha (Grand Prix) – 1.97 m; Málaga (European Cup super league) – 1.97 m; Athens (Grand Prix) – 2.00 m; Stockholm (Grand Prix) – 2.02 m; London (Grand Prix) – 2.05 m; Eberstadt (high jump-meet) – 1.98 m; Stuttgart (World Athletics Final) – 1.98 m
• 2007; Vaasa (European Cup first league) – 1.92 m; Sheffield (Grand Prix) – 1.95 m

Kajsa Bergqvist's 2.06 m jump in Eberstadt 2003