SIMEONI, SARA

born April 19, 1953, Verona, Italy Italian high jumper who won an Olympic gold medal and two silver medals in the 1970s and '80s. At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Simeoni advanced to the final round, where she finished in sixth place with a jump of 1.85 m (6 feet 3/4 inch) behind 16-year-old gold medalist Ulrike Meyfarth. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Simeoni was narrowly defeated by East German Rosemarie Ackermann and settled for a silver medal. Four years later, at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Simeoni's perseverance paid off with a gold medal. Her jump of 1.97 m (6 feet 5 1/2 inches) set an Olympic record. She competed in her fourth and final Games at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Simeoni carried Italy's flag in the opening ceremonies before collecting her second silver medal, losing to Meyfarth. Simeoni won 14 Italian national high jump championships. She later became a coach and a television host.