Antonija Balek

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Antonija Balek (* 29. May 1968 in Split , SFR Yugoslavia ) is a Croatian disabled athlete in track and field .

The handicapped Antonija Balek, who starts in the F52 class, won gold medals in the javelin throw and the shot put at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing . In the discus throwing competition, she came in tenth. A scandal broke out a few weeks after the Games when Balek's brother claimed that his sister was not physically disabled. The Croatian Paralympic Committee said it wanted to initiate an investigation, as did the Croatian government, which would have asked back 58,000 euros in prize money if the suspicion had been confirmed. The withdrawal of the medals would also have been pending confirmation. Antonija Balek resisted her brother's allegations and asserted that she was really physically disabled. She assured that she had been examined several times by Croatian and international medical teams. Her brother only wants to get the prize money by having his sister declared mentally disabled.

In early October 2008, Croatian media reported both on Vlado Balek's allegations against his sister, who he claimed had never had a car accident, was a drug addict and had changed names several times. Antonija Balek, in turn, described her brother as violent. Representatives of the Paralympic Committee and the managers of the athletics team said Antonija Balek had been examined by four Dutch and four Chinese doctors before the games. They therefore ruled out fraud.

Antonija Balek is still listed in the Paralympic results lists as a two-time gold medalist. After 2008 she did not appear in international competitions.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Šokantna laž ili zavist: Policija nema pojma gdje je to Balek mogla stradati. index.hr, October 3, 2008, accessed on March 13, 2018 (Croatian).
  2. ^ Athletics at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. Women's Javelin F33 / 34/52/53. International Paralympic Committee , accessed March 13, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Balek, Antonija
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Balek, Antonia
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Croatian disabled athlete in athletics
DATE OF BIRTH May 29, 1968
PLACE OF BIRTH Split