Resilience is a key characteristic of any top level multi-eventer and though still only 18, the women's Rising Star finalist from October's Golden Tracks awards Jana Koscak has already demonstrated it is a trait she possesses in abundance.
A devastating mid-competition injury and a post-event hospital stay after collapsing this summer in Lima in Peru have only added resolve to the makeup of this highly capable athlete.
Jerusalem highs and lows
The young Croatian burst through on the international scene when winning women’s heptathlon gold at the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships with a dominant performance, over 300 points clear of the rest of the field with a total of 6106.
She was heavily favoured to repeat the success in the same Givat Ram stadium a year later at the European Athletics U20 Championships, but a shocking injury in the shot put ruled her out of contention. She tore a hamstring in the throws circle, an unusual injury more associated with sprinting.
“It was really disappointing,” she recalls. “I was sad, I was just, well, not depressed, but I was like, ‘Why did I even come here?’ I came there for gold. I didn't want to tear my hamstring during shot putting, but after that I really just got back to training as soon as I could.
“I didn't even want to go to train because I was in so much pain. Like, my leg just hurt badly and I couldn't really walk properly. But after some time, I really wanted to run and that has never really happened to me before because I don't really like running.
“And I can say I wasn't motivated at all times. Sometimes I just thought to myself, what if I'm training for all of that and then I'm going to fail again?”
Golden redemption
But Koscak proved her determination, coming back in spectacular fashion in 2024, winning gold at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
The courageous Croatian chose the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships for her heptathlon return, hoping that experience of competing alongside some of the best senior heptathletes in the world, including Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam would be beneficial.
“I believe that was the best part of Rome”, she says. “Seeing the other girls compete and being shoulder to shoulder to them, that was definitely the best part. I wasn't, like, 100% happy with my performance.
“There were some good events, but it could have been way better. But then again, that was my first heptathlon after the injury, so I, I didn't want to, you know, say I'm not happy.”
Sickness, gold and a hospital stay
It did - however - lay the groundwork for the biggest win of her blossoming career in Peru. Even then, a bout of sickness almost derailed her title tilt. “I actually went to Chile ten days prior to Peru, we flight we took a flight to Chile, to kind of get used to weather and the timezone, of course,” she explains.
“And then I got sick five days before Peru and I had to drink antibiotics and everything. So, I think that affected my performance a little bit. But, you know, I didn't want to, give up. I wanted to participate because I took a 12 hour flight, and I'm not going to be laying in bed and the other side of the world!”
She left her sick to take on the planet’s leading heptathlon prospects. She took charge from the high jump where she cleared 1.81m and was never headed as she scored 5807 for gold, leading a European clean sweep ahead of Switzerland’s Lucia Acklin (5755) and Czechia’s Adela Tkacova (560).
Unbeknown to many though, she picked up a freak injury to her hand which caused her to be hospitalised after winning gold.
“But one day after my, medal ceremony, I ended up like I collapsed, she reveals. “And then they took me to hospital because I got bacteria in my hand. I stayed there for a while.
“And then I collapsed a few times there. My whole hand just was swollen, because I, I stepped on my hand during high jump, and it probably got infected or something so that they gave me, like, painkillers and antibiotics. But I was okay, like three days later.”
Family foundation of success
Her innate toughness comes from being in the sport for a decade, training since seven years old, and a solid family foundation, Koscak is coached by her father Patrik and she trains with her elder sister Klara, who is two years her senior and also an athlete of some standing.
Klara Koscak was fifth in the women’s heptathlon at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya and was sixth in the 100m hurdles at the 2022 Jerusalem European Athletics U20 Championships.
“My dad, who is my coach, who has been my coach for the last five years. My sister, who is my training partner, as well as my biggest supporter, I would say, you know, whenever I'm feeling down, I can always count on her,” says the younger Koscak fondly.
“She (Klara) made me a book of some special sayings for Peru. And I always have it. I always read it. And, yeah, she knows how it is because she's also, let's say, a professional athlete, even though she's in college right now.
"My sports psychologist, my mother and my grandma, and they are always here for me, you know, I know I can always count on them.”
World U20 record and European gold in sights
From a modest base in Varazdin, around 40km outside of Zagreb, the Koscak team are building something truly special. As well as winning World U20 gold in Peru last year, she also holds the world U18 best for heptathlon with senior implements with 6293 in Götzis, Austria in 2023.
But Koscak wants more.
She is also already setting her sights on the Tampere 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships and unfinished business.
“You know, when I think of under 20, I think of Jerusalem,” she admits. “And then I think of Finland, and I want to make everything right in Finland. Not only gold.
“I'm honestly, I'm aiming for great results next year. I want to do better. And I know that I'm healthy now. I'm fit. And I will be preparing the whole winter and the whole summer to do my best there, because that's the most important competition next year for me.”
She also has an eye on the U20 pentathlon world record, possibly at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in March from 6-9 March.
“The world record is a target. Especially in winter, like indoor. I (would) really like to get that,” she says. “So, the pentathlon in the European Indoors is also a big target. So, I'll have to fight for my place there and then maybe try to get that world U20 record in the Netherlands.”
One of the rising stars of European Athletics is setting even greater heights to rise towards and with her fierce ambition, resilience and unquestionable talent, who could doubt her?
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics