Jesper Fritz

Jesper Fritz (born 13 September 1985) is a Swedish pole vaulter and physician.

Early life and career He grew up in Bellevue, Malmö, represented the club Malmö AI and was coached by Stanislaw Szczyrba.

Jesper Fritz also got the highest possible grades in secondary school, prompting him to study medicine at Lund University.

International career Having cleared 5.55 in February 2005, his results were below that in the following 17 months, until Fritz made his senior breakthrough in Sweden when finishing second at the national championships in 2006, clearing 5.60 metres. This also qualified him for the 2006 European Championships on home soil, where he was eliminated in the qualification. However, shortly after he sustained a strained thigh, which did not heal in time for the World Championships. He did not enter the Swedish Championships either.

In 2008 he notably jumped 5.62 and 5.63 on the summer meet circuit in Karlskrona and Sollentuna, before winning the Swedish Championships at 5.61 metres. He however competed at the 2008 Olympic Games, as well as the 2008 World Indoor Championships, without reaching the final. At the 2009 DN-Galan, he did achieve a season's best of 5.61 metres, which was good in itself, but a commentator opined that it would probably not be enough to excel at the World Championships. In the build up to the Worlds, Fritz chose to pass the Swedish Championships, as did Alhaji Jeng who had an equal season's best at the time. The 2009 World Championships ended in Fritz failing the first height.

Later career At the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Swedish hopeful Angelica Bengtsson had recently taken on Miro Zalar as her coach. As Zalar had a previous engagement as radio commentator during the Olympics, Jesper Fritz would be the accredited coach who would help Bengtsson on the field. He also spent time mentoring Melker Svärd-Jacobsson.

Following several years without being able to resume competitions on a high level, Fritz announced his retirement from pole vaulting in October 2013.

His doctoral dissertation in medicine at Lund University was titled Physical Activity During Growth. Effects on Bone, Muscle, Fracture Risk and Academic Performance. Fritz found positive effects from physical activity on boys' school performance.