Niki Stajković

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Nikola Stajković Diving
Personal information
Nickname (s): "Niki"
Nationality: AustriaAustria Austria
Discipline (s) : Artistic / tower / synchronized jumping
Birthday: March 1, 1959
Place of birth: Salzburg , Austria
Date of death: 17th February 2017
Place of death: Hallein , Austria
Medals

Nikola "Niki" Stajković (born March 1, 1959 in Salzburg ; † February 17, 2017 in Hallein ) was an Austrian water diver who actively participated in national and international competitions and five times in the Olympic Games between 1972 and 1992.

Career

Niki Stajković was a successful all-round athlete. His diver career was specifically promoted by his father Vlado, who trained young Niki regularly at the age of three. He jumped from the ten meter tower for the first time at the age of five.

The Salzburger was not only a good diver, but also a good swimmer and skier. As a ten-year-old he delivered a great piece of work at the Austrian championships: first he won the jumping from the tower, then he hurried to the start of the 50-meter dolphin swimming competition and also won the gold medal there.

At the age of 13 he took part in his first Olympics: at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich , he was hailed as a “child prodigy”. After all, he reached the impressive 18th place.

In 1977 Stajković graduated from the Musisches Gymnasium Salzburg with Matura (Abitur). He then turned his back on Salzburg and trained and studied in the USA. In 1981 Stajković won the bronze medal from the three-meter board and in 1987 the silver from the three-meter board. At the 1980 Summer Olympics , he reached eighth place.

After his sports career, he discovered surfing in Hawaii, where he also rented a vacation home. In recent years he has been the athletic leader of the Red Bull Cliff Diving Tour .

Niki Stajković died unobserved in the swimming pool on February 17, 2017 at the age of 57 during swimming training at the University and State Sports Center Salzburg Rif . His 28-year-old wife had already left the pool and a swimming group of children noticed him - lifeless in the water. Resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful, the police suspected heart failure as the cause of death.

Sporting successes

  • European Youth Championship : Gold 1971 and 1973 (tower)
  • Five Olympic participations :
    1972 Munich : 18th high diving
    1976 Montréal : 12th high diving
    1980 Moscow : 7th high diving; 12. 3-meter board
    1988 Seoul : 9th 3-meter board
    1992 Barcelona : 22nd 3-meter board
  • European Championship : Vice European Champion 1987 Strasbourg and European Championship third 1981 (3-meter board)
  • World Championship : fifth in 1986 (3-meter board)
  • World Cup : Third in 1979 (10-meter high diving) and second in 1983 (3-meter board)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ «Niki steals the show from the stars» . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna August 25, 1972, p. 13 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
  2. ↑ a b Ex-diver Stajkovic died during training . orf.at (February 18, 2017)
  3. ↑ Ex-high diver Stajkovic died in swimming accident (February 18, 2017)
  4. ↑ Niki Stajkovic dies after a swimming accident in Hallein-Rif (February 19, 2017)
personal data
SURNAME Stajković, Niki
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Stajković, Nikola
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian diver
DATE OF BIRTH March 1, 1959
PLACE OF BIRTH Salzburg
DATE OF DEATH 17th February 2017
Place of death Hallein