Athletes to Watch: Blanka Vlasic

The woman to beat in the women’s high jump competition is not from the US or Russia or China. She’s a 24-year-old Croatian woman, Blanka Vlasic. Vlasic is named for the Moroccan port city of Casablanca, where her father competed in the 1983 Mediterranean Games at the time of her birth. She’s the current World Champion and 2008 World Indoor Champion.

Vlasic, 24, competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, but failed to medal.