Emma Zapletalová
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| Born | 24 March 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Slovak Republic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 400m hurdles, 400m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | ŠK Dukla Banská Bystrica - VŠC Dukla Banská Bystrica[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by |
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Medal record
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Emma Zapletalová (born 24 March 2000)[2] is a Slovak athlete, who specializes in 400 metres hurdles and 400 metres, holding the Slovak national record in both events. She won the bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Previously, Zapletalová held the 2021 European U23 Championships title in the discipline.
Career
Early career
On 15 July 2018 in Tampere, Zapletalová took fifth place in the 400 m hurdles at the World U20 Championships. Afterwards, she had to interrupt her career for several months due to mononucleosis and a stress fracture to her foot.[4][5] On 2 August 2020, she ran the 400 m hurdles in Budapest in a time of 56.19 seconds, improving her personal best by almost seven tenths and breaking the previous Slovak record.[6] On 30 August in Trnava, Zapletalová improved by exactly one second, setting a new national record of 55.19 seconds.[7]
2021: Olympic Games debut
In June 2021, at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands, she qualified by time for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 400m hurdles, running 55.29 seconds.[8] Zapletalová took almost one second off her previous national record to win the gold medal at the European U23 Championships in July, running a time of 54.28 seconds.[9][10] She was a semi-finalist in the 400m hurdles at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games held in August 2021, and was named Slovak Athlete of the Year 2021.[11][12]
She competed at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, Germany in the women's 400 metres hurdles.[13]
2025: World Championships medalist
After a few years of health problems, she began to be trained by Dutchman Bram Peters in autumn 2024. In 2025, at the Central Slovak Athletics Association championship in Ostrava, she set a Slovak record in the indoor 400 metres with a time of 52.61 seconds.[14]
She was runner-up in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2025 Bislett Games, part of the 2025 Diamond League, on 12 June 2025.[15] On 17 June she broke the Slovakian national record for the 400 metres which had stood since 1974. She won the 400 metres at the 2025 European Athletics Team Championships Second Division in Maribor on 28 June and lowered it again, running 50.76 seconds.[16] She placed fourth in Monaco at the 2025 Herculis in the Diamond League in July 2025.[17] She lowered the national record to 54.08 seconds at the 2025 London Athletics Meet.[18]
She lowered her own national record to 53.18 seconds finishing runner-up to Femke Bol at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on 28 August.[19] At the world championships in Tokyo, she won a bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles in a new Slovak record of 53.00 seconds.[20][21][22]
2026
Zapletalova opened her 2026 indoor season by breaking her own Slovakian indoor 400m record at the IFAM Indoor Gent, in Belgium. With her time of 51.67 seconds, Zapletalova became the first Slovakian to break the 52 second-barrier indoors.[23] She lowered it again shortly afterwards, with 51.24 for the 400 metres in Ostrava on 3 February 2026 and then 50.78 in Metz on 8 February.[24][25] She reached the semi-finals of the 400 m at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.[26]
Personal life
She studied at the Faculty of Sports Science and Health of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica.[14]
Personal bests
Information based on her World Athletics profile.[2]
| Event | Time (sec) | Notes | Wind | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 metres | 23.42 | NU23R | +0.4 m/s | Prague, Czech Republic | 22 August 2021 |
| 400 metres | 50.76 | NR | Maribor, Slovenia | 28 June 2025 | |
| 400 meters short track | 50.78 | NR | Metz, France | 8 February 2026 | |
| 300 metres hurdles | 38.97 | NR | Ostrava, Czech Republic | 8 September 2020 | |
| 400 metres hurdles | 53.00 | NR | Tokyo, Japan | 19 September 2025 | |
