Keila Costa
Encyclopedia
Keila da Silva Costa (born 6 February 1983) is a Brazil
ian long jump
er and triple jump
er. She has competed in two Olympic Games, 2004
and 2008
, and has reached the final round both there and in World Championships
and World Indoor Championships. She is the South American record holder in triple jump with 14.57 metres, and has 6.88 metres in the long jump. Both results were achieved in 2007.
near Recife
, and took up athletics at the age of nine. It was not the easiest of things to become an international athlete, as the city of Abreu e Lima did not sport a rubber track; also she came from a "humble family".
As a junior athlete she competed in two World Junior Championships. At the 2000 edition
in Santiago, Chile
she finished eleventh in the triple jump. Her personal best at the time was 13.23 metres. In 2001 she broke the 14-metre barrier as she improved to 14.00 metres at a meet in São Caetano do Sul
. This was a new South American junior record. In 2002 the World Junior Championships
were held in Kingston, Jamaica
. Here she finished ninth in the long jump and won the bronze medal in the triple jump. She was the first Brazilian to win a medal at the World Junior Championships. She had not improved in the latter event, but her personal best in the long jump was 6.46 metres, achieved in September 2002 in Rio de Janeiro
.
In the following seasons, she rarely competed internationally, except for a participation at the 2004 Olympic Games where she failed to reach the final. She was injured for most of 2003. By June 2005 she had improved to 6.63 metres in the long jump, and in February 2006 she improved to 14.17 metres in the triple jump. In March 2006 she competed in triple jump at the World Indoor Championships
and her first international triple jump event since the 2002 World Juniors—but even though she approached her maximum level with a jump of 14.11 metres, she again failed to reach the final. In late 2006, she represented the Americas (except for the United States) in long jump at the World Cup
event, finishing sixth.
Maurren Higa Maggi later captured the South American triple jump record, and also dominated in national championships. Costa won her first Brazilian title in 2003. On the regional level, Costa won five medals at the South American Championships in 2001
, 2003
and 2005
.
she jumped 6.88 metres, and in São Paulo
in June she jumped 14.57 metres for a continental and championship record at the 2007 South American Championships in Athletics
. She also won the silver medal in the long jump behind Maggi. In May she had become the first South American woman to break the 15-metre-barrier. However, her 15.10 m jump in Uberlândia
, Brazil
had a tail wind
of 2.7 m/second, and thus could not be accepted. When jumping 14.57, she established a new South American record. At the 2007 Pan American Games
she won two silver medals, and at the 2007 World Championships
in August she finished ninth in the triple
and seventh in the long jump competition
. At the World Athletics Final
towards the end of the season, she finished sixth in the triple and fifth in the long jump.
In 2008 she did not compete in the triple jump at all. In the long jump, though, she finished seventh at the World Indoor Championships
and eleventh at the Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's long jump. Her season's best was 6.79 metres, achieved in June in São Paulo. Her South American record still stands.
In the 2009 season, she won the Troféu Brasil Caixa de Atletismo with a season's best of 6.79 m, putting an end to rival Maurren Maggi
's decade-long dominance of the championships. She became the continental long jump champion for a second time at the 2009 South American Championships in Athletics
. The long jump at the 2009 Lusophony Games
was a head-to-head with Portugal's Naide Gomes
and Costa took the silver medal, three centimetres back with a mark of 6.71 m. Her focus turned to the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
, but she failed to record a mark in her three attempts in the long jump final. She closed the season with a seventh place finish at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
.
She opened 2010 with her first podium finish on the global stage: competing in the long jump at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
, she twice jumped 6.63 m to secure the bronze medal behind Brittney Reese
and Gomes. She became a double Brazilian champion later that year with victories in both the long jump and triple jump at the Troféu Brasil Caixa de Atletismo.
nian Olympic champion in the long jump, Irving Saladino
. The two met at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Costa stands tall, and weighs approximately 137 pounds (62.1 kg).
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
er and triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
er. She has competed in two Olympic Games, 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and 2008
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, and has reached the final round both there and in World Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
and World Indoor Championships. She is the South American record holder in triple jump with 14.57 metres, and has 6.88 metres in the long jump. Both results were achieved in 2007.
Early career
She was born in Abreu e LimaAbreu e Lima, Pernambuco
Abreu e Lima is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pernambuco. It is located in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, also known as Greater Recife.The city was named in honor of José Inácio de Abreu e Lima, also known as "Inácio Pernambucano"...
near Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, and took up athletics at the age of nine. It was not the easiest of things to become an international athlete, as the city of Abreu e Lima did not sport a rubber track; also she came from a "humble family".
As a junior athlete she competed in two World Junior Championships. At the 2000 edition
2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2000 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Santiago, Chile.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
she finished eleventh in the triple jump. Her personal best at the time was 13.23 metres. In 2001 she broke the 14-metre barrier as she improved to 14.00 metres at a meet in São Caetano do Sul
São Caetano do Sul
São Caetano do Sul is a city in São Paulo state in Brazil, located in the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan Area. It is the city with the highest per capita income in Brazil and it also has the highest Human Development Index .-Geography:São Caetano do Sul is located on a plateau that is part of the...
. This was a new South American junior record. In 2002 the World Junior Championships
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
were held in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. Here she finished ninth in the long jump and won the bronze medal in the triple jump. She was the first Brazilian to win a medal at the World Junior Championships. She had not improved in the latter event, but her personal best in the long jump was 6.46 metres, achieved in September 2002 in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
In the following seasons, she rarely competed internationally, except for a participation at the 2004 Olympic Games where she failed to reach the final. She was injured for most of 2003. By June 2005 she had improved to 6.63 metres in the long jump, and in February 2006 she improved to 14.17 metres in the triple jump. In March 2006 she competed in triple jump at the World Indoor Championships
2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations was held in Moscow from March 10 to March 12, 2006 in the Olimpiyski Sport arena....
and her first international triple jump event since the 2002 World Juniors—but even though she approached her maximum level with a jump of 14.11 metres, she again failed to reach the final. In late 2006, she represented the Americas (except for the United States) in long jump at the World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
event, finishing sixth.
Maurren Higa Maggi later captured the South American triple jump record, and also dominated in national championships. Costa won her first Brazilian title in 2003. On the regional level, Costa won five medals at the South American Championships in 2001
2001 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2001 South American Championships in Athletics were held at the Vila Olímpica in Manaus, Brazil, from May 18-20.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
, 2003
2003 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2003 South American Championships in Athletics were held from June 20 to June 22 at the Polideportivo Máximo Viloria in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Detailed day-by-day reports can be found on the IAAF website.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:...
and 2005
2005 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2005 South American Championships in Athletics were held at the Estadio Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Colombia from July 21 to July 24, 2005. Detailed day-by-day reports can be found on the IAAF website.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:...
.
International breakthrough
Her definite international breakthrough came in 2007. She improved both her personal best jumps with good margins. In May in BelémBelém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
she jumped 6.88 metres, and in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
in June she jumped 14.57 metres for a continental and championship record at the 2007 South American Championships in Athletics
2007 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2007 South American Championships in Athletics were held at the Estádio Ícaro de Castro Mello in São Paulo, Brazil from 7 June to 9 June 2007...
. She also won the silver medal in the long jump behind Maggi. In May she had become the first South American woman to break the 15-metre-barrier. However, her 15.10 m jump in Uberlândia
Uberlândia
Uberlândia is the main town in the Triangle region, west of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. With a population of 604,013 inhabitants, according to 2010 estimates, the city is the second largest in the state second only to Belo Horizonte...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
had a tail wind
Wind assistance
Wind assistance is a term in track and field, which refers to the wind level during a race or event as registered by a wind gauge. Wind is one of many forms of weather which can affect sport....
of 2.7 m/second, and thus could not be accepted. When jumping 14.57, she established a new South American record. At the 2007 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 2007 Pan American Games
The athletics competition at the 2007 Pan American Games was held at the Flamengo Park and Estádio Olímpico João Havelange in Rio de Janeiro between 22 July and 29 July 2007...
she won two silver medals, and at the 2007 World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in August she finished ninth in the triple
2007 World Championships in Athletics - Women's triple jump
The Women's Triple Jump event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 29, 2007 and August 31, 2007 at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan.-Medallists:-Records:-Final:-Group A:-Group B:...
and seventh in the long jump competition
2007 World Championships in Athletics - Women's long jump
The women's long jump event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics took place on August 27, 2007 and August 28, 2007 at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan.-Medallists:-Records:-Final:-Group A:-Group B:-References:...
. At the World Athletics Final
2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
towards the end of the season, she finished sixth in the triple and fifth in the long jump.
In 2008 she did not compete in the triple jump at all. In the long jump, though, she finished seventh at the World Indoor Championships
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships - Women's Long Jump
-Medalists:-Qualification:Qualification rule: qualification standar 6.60m or at least best 8 qualified-Final:...
and eleventh at the Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's long jump. Her season's best was 6.79 metres, achieved in June in São Paulo. Her South American record still stands.
In the 2009 season, she won the Troféu Brasil Caixa de Atletismo with a season's best of 6.79 m, putting an end to rival Maurren Maggi
Maurren Maggi
Maurren Higa Maggi is a Brazilian athlete and Olympic gold medallist. She is the South American record holder at 100 metres hurdles and at long jump, with 12.71 seconds and 7.26 metres respectively. She also has 14.53 metres in the triple jump...
's decade-long dominance of the championships. She became the continental long jump champion for a second time at the 2009 South American Championships in Athletics
2009 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2009 South American Championships in Athletics was the forty sixth edition of the tournament and was held between 19 and 21 June in Lima, Peru....
. The long jump at the 2009 Lusophony Games
Athletics at the 2009 Lusophony Games
The Athletics competition at the 2009 Lusophony Games was held in the Estádio Universitário de Lisboa on July 12, July 13 and July 19, 2009.-Men's:-Women's:-Medal table:...
was a head-to-head with Portugal's Naide Gomes
Naide Gomes
Enezaide do Rosário da Vera Cruz Gomes, OIH, is a Portuguese heptathlete, born in São Tomé and Príncipe. She is also a top-class competitor in the long jump, and she competed in 100 metres hurdles at the 2000 Summer Olympics...
and Costa took the silver medal, three centimetres back with a mark of 6.71 m. Her focus turned to the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, but she failed to record a mark in her three attempts in the long jump final. She closed the season with a seventh place finish at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 7th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 12 and September 13, 2009. The competition represented the culmination of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, a selection of athletics meetings which began on September 20, 2008 at the...
.
She opened 2010 with her first podium finish on the global stage: competing in the long jump at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:...
, she twice jumped 6.63 m to secure the bronze medal behind Brittney Reese
Brittney Reese
Brittney Reese is an American long jumper, who competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and is the current world champion.-Personal:...
and Gomes. She became a double Brazilian champion later that year with victories in both the long jump and triple jump at the Troféu Brasil Caixa de Atletismo.
Personal life
Costa has a relationship with PanamaPanama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian Olympic champion in the long jump, Irving Saladino
Irving Saladino
Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda is a Panamanian long jumper. He is the current Olympic champion, and Panama's first and only Olympic gold medallist.Saladino was born in Colón, Panama....
. The two met at the 2004 Olympic Games.
Costa stands tall, and weighs approximately 137 pounds (62.1 kg).