Kajsa Bergqvist

Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist (; 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 , set in Germany in 2003, is also a Swedish record. Her indoor record of , set at the Hochsprung mit Musik meeting in 2006, is the world indoor record.

Early life Bergqvist was born on 12 October 1976 in Sollentuna Municipality, Stockholm County.

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.

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.

She attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas (USA) in 1995–1999, with a degree in advertising.

Athletics career Bergqvist was the NCAA champion in 1997 with a clearance of 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 in Boise. The same year, she tied Acuff's collegiate outdoor record of .

In 2000, she cleared at the Swedish Olympic trials, tying for the year's second best record.

Bergqvist changed coaches from Bengt Jönsson to Yannick Tregaro in the autumn of 2003.

At a competition in Båstad, on 18 July 2004, Bergqvist tore her Achilles tendon. 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. There she edged out Chaunté Howard for the gold medal. Her Helsinki victory earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal.

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 on her first attempt, surpassing Heike Henkel's leap on 8 February 1992.

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.

She announced her retirement in January 2008.

Post-athletics Since her retirement, she has been an ambassador for both UNICEF and the IAAF.

In 2021 Bergqvist became head coach of the Swedish national athletics team.

Personal life Bergqvist married director Måns Herngren on New Year's Eve in 2007. The couple announced their divorce in early 2011.

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.

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