Dragutin Topić (, born 12 March 1971) is a retired Serbian high jumper, former European champion and world junior record holder.
Biography Topić is a world junior record holder with 2.37 m, which he set while winning the 1990 World Junior Championships, three weeks before his win at the senior European Championships. In the same year, Topić received the Golden Badge award for best athlete of Yugoslavia. Topić set five national records and claimed four Yugoslav national championships in the men's high jump event. He is a former member of AK Crvena zvezda, where he spent the majority of his career.
Topić competed until 2012, and had one of the longest careers in high-level high jump, since he holds not only world junior record with 2.37 m, but also world masters record for the ages over 35 (2.31 m, set in 2009), and over 40 years of age (2.28 m, set in 2012).
He competed at eight World Championships,Most appearances ; p25 and at six Olympic Games (between 1992 and 2012), which is an Olympic record for high jump, and he also shared the record for most appearances at the Olympics by a male track and field athlete with distance runner João N'Tyamba and race walker Jesús Ángel García, who later broke the record. In 2024 he received Coaching award at the Golden Tracks awards organized by the European Athletic Association (EAA).
Personal bests Event Performance Date Location High jump (outdoor) 2.38 m 1 August 1993 Belgrade High jump (indoor) 2.35 m 10 March 1996 Stockholm
International competitions Representing 1989European Junior ChampionshipsVaraždin, Yugoslavia4th2.20 m1990World Junior ChampionshipsPlovdiv, Bulgaria 1st2.37 mEuropean ChampionshipsSplit, Yugoslavia 1st2.34 m1991World Indoor ChampionshipsSeville, Spain11th2.24 mWorld ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan 9th2.28 m1992European Indoor ChampionshipsGenoa, Italy 3rd2.29 mRepresenting Independent Olympic Participants1992Olympic GamesBarcelona, Spain 8th2.28 mRepresenting 1993UniversiadeBuffalo, United States 8th2.21 mWorld ChampionshipsStuttgart, Germany26th (q)2.20 m1994European ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland 5th2.31 mGrand Prix FinalParis, France 3rd2.30 m1995UniversiadeFukuoka, Japan1st2.29 mWorld ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden 8th2.25 m1996European Indoor ChampionshipsStockholm, Sweden 1st2.35 mOlympic GamesAtlanta, United States 4th2.32 m1997World Indoor ChampionshipsParis, France 3rd2.32 mWorld ChampionshipsAthens, Greece22nd (q)2.23 m1998European Indoor ChampionshipsValencia, Spain 6th2.22 mEuropean ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary 9th2.24 m1999World ChampionshipsSeville, Spain4th2.32 m2000European Indoor ChampionshipsGhent, Belgium 3rd2.34 mOlympic GamesSydney, Australia21st (q)2.20 mGrand Prix FinalDoha, Qatar 3rd2.25 mRepresenting 2003World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, United Kingdom 4th2.30 m2004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece10th2.29 m2005European Indoor ChampionshipsMadrid, Spain 5th2.30 mWorld ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland 9th2.25 mRepresenting 2007World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan31st (q)2.19 m2008European Cup — 2nd LeagueBanská Bystrica, Slovakia 1st2.24 mWorld Indoor ChampionshipsValencia, Spain6th2.27 mOlympic GamesBeijing, China17th (q)2.25 m2009European Indoor ChampionshipsTurin, Italy 8th2.25 mEuropean Team Championships — 1st LeagueBergen, Norway 1st2.29 mMediterranean GamesPescara, Italy 3rd2.26 mWorld ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany30th (q)2.15 m2012European ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland30th (q)2.10 mOlympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom—NM
Doping On 2 February 2001, after a meeting in Wuppertal, Germany, he was tested and his urine sample showed the presence of norandrosterone in concentrations slightly higher than allowed. He was tested positive to norandrosterone and suspended for two years.Druga strana medalje - Both sides clean By Marija Midžović p.157
Personal life His wife is Serbian former track and field athlete and national record holder in triple jump, Biljana Topić (née Mitrović), and he served as her coach while he was still an active competitor. Their daughter, Angelina Topić, won the high jump event at the 2022 European U18 Championships and also holds the national record in high jump, as well as equal world U18 best. During the 1990s, Topić was a member of the Yugoslav Left (JUL) political party.
See also Serbian records in athletics List of junior world records in athletics List of world records in masters athletics List of doping cases in athletics
References
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