Jolanda Čeplak

Jolanda Čeplak Audio|JolandaCeplak.ogg|pronounced (born Jolanda Steblovnik, September 12, 1976) is a Slovenian middle distance athlete.

She was born in Celje, Slovenia and lived in Velenje until recently when she moved to Monaco.

In her early career, Jolanda did not specialise, and ran at many distances, but has settled on the 800 metres where she has 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 March 2 at the European Indoor Championships in Vienna she beat the local favourite Stephanie Graf and set the indoor world record at 1:55.82. Same year at the European Championships in Munich she clearly beat all rivals and became the European champion.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Jolanda 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. The photo-finish did not go Jolanda's way and Benhassi was given the silver medal and Jolanda bronze. One consolation though was that she had finished one place ahead of the great Mutola.

Her agent is a well known Austrian manager Robert Wagner. Jolanda is married to Aleš Čeplak.

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. She was suspended and if found guilty, she faces a two-year ban.cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/6917797.stm |title=Ceplak fails doping test for EPO |accessdate=2007-07-26 |publisher=bbc.co.uk] Čeplak says in a comment that she has never taken any illegal substances and will try to prove her innocence with all means possible.cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/amateur/story/2007/07/26/track-doping.html |title=World champion runner tests positive for EPO |accessdate=2007-07-27 |publisher=cbc.ca]

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
* 2003
** European Cup B League Final – Velenje, Slovenia.
*** 800 m gold medal
* 2004
** 2004 Summer Olympics – Athens, Greece.
*** 800 m bronze medal
** World Indoor Championships – Budapest, Hungary.
*** 800 m silver medal
* 2007
** European Indoor Championships – Birmingham, England.
*** 800 m bronze medal

References

ee also

*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

External links

* [http://www.jolandaceplak.com/ Official Website]
*