By performing at the internationally approved WPA competition Zagreb Open, held on October 2, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team member, paraathlete Željka Šandrk won first place and a gold medal in the javelin throw with a new national record of 14.52 meters in extremely strong competition from 124 competitors from 10 different countries.
The competition in Zagreb was also the first official WPA-verified competition in the world where it was possible to achieve the norm for the Paralympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 (LA28), and Željka Šandrk exceeded the norm by more than one whole meter with her winning distance.
With this triumph, Željka rounded off the season with as many as six medals won at the biggest international competitions and achieved a historic record with five broken national records at the top of the world rankings.
In addition to the impressive collection of medals, what makes this season truly historic is the incredible, violent progress and continuity of top shots. Željka broke the state record 5 times in just one competitive year — three times in the shot put and twice in the javelin.
Although she has worn the national team jersey for only three seasons, Željka has already positioned herself among the world rankings with her dedication and excellent results.
- We end the season in the most beautiful way possible, with a new state record, gold and the transferred Paralympic standard for LA28 by more than one meter. With a distance of 14.52 meters, this is already the fourth time in this qualification period that I have confirmed the norm for the World Championship in Tashkent. My goal is to enter the top eight in the world and fight for the very top – said Željka.
In order to ensure the necessary financial resources for adequate preparations, equipment and going to the World Cup in Uzbekistan in 2027, a crowdfunding campaign on the doniraj.ba platform will soon be officially launched.
The Club invites all socially responsible companies, institutions and individuals to join the campaign and help ensure that Bosnia and Herzegovina has guaranteed conditions and a representative at the very end of the world competition, according to the press release of the Paraathletic Club ATHLOS Sarajevo.
