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Helena Dretar Karić

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Helena Dretar Karić
Dretar Karić in 2009
Personal information
Born (1979-11-28) 28 November 1979 (age 44)
Varaždin, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Sport
CountryCroatia
SportPara table tennis
Disability classC3
Medal record
Women's para table tennis
Representing  Croatia
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Teams C1–3
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo Teams C1–3
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 Bratislava Teams C3
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Beijing Teams C1–3
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Lignano Teams C1–3
Gold medal – first place 2015 Vejle Teams C1–3
Gold medal – first place 2017 Laško Teams C2–3
Gold medal – first place 2019 Helsingborg Teams C1–3
Gold medal – first place 2023 Sheffield Doubles WD5-10
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Split Teams C3
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Helsingborg Singles C3

Helena Dretar Karić (born 28 November 1979) is a Croatian para table tennis player who competes in the C3 category.

Background

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Dretar Karić was born in Varaždin on 28 November 1979. She was a talented handball player, who was hit by a car as a pedestrian at the age of 17 and has been in a wheelchair ever since.[1] While recuperating in Varaždinske Toplice, she met the Croatian Paralympic table tennis team, and after that, she started playing the sport more intensively in 2008. She played in several clubs, mostly in the Zagreb club STKOI "Uriho".[2]

Career

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Together with Anđela Mužinić, Dretar Karić won numerous medals, including medals at the Paralympic Games (2016, 2020), at the World Championships (2014, 2017) and at the European Championships, of which five were gold at the European Championships (2013–2023) and one bronze (2011).[1] At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, Dretar Karić won silver in a pair with Muzinić. Four years later, at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, they won bronze.[3][4]

Awards and honors

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Dretar Karić received the "Franjo Bučar" State Sports Award and the Order of the Croatian Danica with the image of Franjo Bučar. As part of the Croatian Paralympic table tennis team, she received the Sportske novosti award in 2015 and 2021, in the category of women's team of the year.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Croatia wins second medal at Paralympics in Tokyo". croatiaweek.com. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Tražimo paraolimpijca desetljeća - Helena Dretar Karić". hpo.hr. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Anđela Mužinić i Helena Dretar Karić ostale bez finala, ali uspjele su osvojiti svoju drugu paraolimpijsku medalju". tportal.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Anđela Mužinić Vincetić". paralympic.org. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Tahti first Finnish Para athlete named 'Personality of the Year'". International Paralympic Committee. 25 January 2017.