December 23, 2019 - How did this year compare to Croatia’s most successful year in sport? A look at Croatian sport in 2019. 

It seemed as though nothing could quite compare to 2018. It was the year Croatian football became World Cup finalists. The year Croatia brought home the Davis Cup trophy and thus gained sweet revenge on France. A year so successful, we’d never seen anything like it in Croatian history. 

As 2019 began, I was hardly optimistic.

“How could we be so lucky again?”

Fortunately, the year was full of pleasant surprises. It was a year that saw our young talents thrive. A year that saw countless triumphs in both individual and team sports. It was another epic year in Croatian sport.

Here is our  2019 year in review. 

Croatia Handball: 2019 began with the Men’s Handball World Championship, which featured Croatia in Group B. After four impressive wins against Iceland, Japan, Macedonia, and Bahrain, Croatia met Spain to decide the winner of the group. After topping Spain 23:19, Croatia went on to win Group B and continued to the main round of the tournament. Croatia was not so lucky there, losing to Brazil 29:26 and Germany 21:22, which ultimately took them out of the fight for the medal. A win against France for the final game of the main round restored their morale, though a loss to Sweden, in the end, saw Croatia finish the tournament as the 6th best team in the world. Croatia will play in the European Championships next month against Montenegro, Belarus and Serbia in Graz. 

Franko Grgic: Promising Croatian swimmer, 16-year-old Franko Grgic, won two gold swimming medals in the 800-meter and 1500-meter races at this year's World Junior Championships, and was even selected among the five finalists for the Piotr Nurowski Award, which as awarded by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) for the ninth time. Though he didn’t win the award in the end, he made sure he was on everyone’s swimming radar. The PK Jadran Split swimmer had an outstanding August, celebrating two gold medals and achieving new records at the 7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest. After winning the gold in the 800-meter-freestyle while breaking a Croatian record, the 16-year-old swimming sensation became the world champion in the 1500-meter-freestyle and achieved a new world junior record with a time of 14:46.09 minutes. Grgic swam 10.46 seconds faster in Budapest than his best-ever record in the 1500 meters, which was also Croatia's national record. Franko’s previous career-fastest in the 800-meter free was achieved in Zagreb in March, where he swam 7:53.75. In Budapest, however, Grgic was 8 seconds faster, thus breaking the Croatian record held by Marin Mogic (7:51:78). Grgic was thus named the 25th fastest performer of all-time, any age, in this 800-meter freestyle. At the beginning of the year, Grgic won the gold in the 400-meter and 1500 meter at the EYOF in Baku, and also hit the Olympic standard for Tokyo 2020. We can’t wait to see him in Tokyo next summer.

Croatia Basketball: It wasn’t the greatest year for Croatia basketball, which failed to qualify for the World Cup in China back in August. However, with new coach Veljko Mrsic on the bench, Croatia still has a chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. The light at the end of the tunnel to 2019 was the welcoming news that Split would be host to the 2020 Olympic Qualifying tournament next June, where Croatia will face Tunisia and Brazil, and crossover with Germany or Russia. It will be the strongest tournament played on Croatian ground since EuroBasket 1989 in Zagreb. But not all was bleak. In the NBA, Croatia captain Bojan Bogdanovic saw a stellar transfer to the Utah Jazz this summer, where he’s been playing the basketball of his career. Ivica Zubac is still a hit at the LA Clippers and Dario Saric is finding his footing better at the Phoenix Suns. Croatia also boasts a record seven players in the NBA this season. To end on a high, two legendary Croatian basketball players Toni Kukoc and Giuseppe ‘Pino’ Giergia have been listed among the 50 candidates nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Illinois. 

Dina Levacic: Another year, another swimming success for Dina Levacic! In 7 hours, 13 minutes and 15 seconds, 23-year-old Solin native Dina Levacic completed the Tsugaru Strait to complete the fourth open water channel swim out of the seven in the 'Oceans Seven' challenge. The channel is located between Japan's largest island, Honshu and Hokkaido, and high waves and strong frontal wind accompanied the Croatian swimmer the entire way. The member of the Split Swimming Club set one of her best times and became only the 67th person to complete the Tsugaru Strait.

The ‘Ocean Seven’ is a series of seven international swimming marathons, modeled after the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge. Dina Levačić had already swum three marathon channels from the ‘Ocean Seven’ series before attempting the Tsugaru: Catalina Channel, English Channel (La Manche) and Moloka’i Channel. After the Tsugaru Strait in Japan, Dina will still need to overcome the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland, the Strait of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa and the Cook Strait in New Zealand.

Croatia Football: On the heels of the greatest sporting success in Croatian history, the Croatia football team did not disappoint this year. Croatia’s Euro 2020 qualifiers kicked off back in March against Azerbaijan, where they won 2:1 at home. A shocking loss to Hungary stirred the pot, though wins against Wales and Slovakia put Croatia back on their feet. Draws to Wales and Azerbaijan complicated Croatia’s road to the Euros only slightly, as big wins against Hungary and Slovakia in the return games sealed the deal. Croatia not only qualified for the Euros next summer, but they finished at the top of their qualifying group. 2019 was also a pivotal year for Croatian football, as it will be remembered as the year the national team returned to Poljud stadium in Split for the first time since 2015. Croatia played to a sold-out stadium and coach Zlatko Dalic called it the best atmosphere they’d experienced. The Euros await Croatia next year, where they will face England, the Czech Republic, and the winner of the Nations League C (Norway/Serbia v Scotland/Israel). 

Dinamo Zagreb: It was another successful year for Dinamo Zagreb, who clinched the Croatian Championship title for the 20th time back in April after defeating Slaven Belupo. Dinamo secured the title six rounds before the end of the season and 23 points ahead of Rijeka in second. While Rijeka went on to win the Croatian Cup, Dinamo went on to have an impressive Champions League campaign. After soaring through the Champions League qualifiers and playoff round, Dinamo advanced to the Group Stage against Manchester City, Atalanta, and Shakhtar Donetsk. Dinamo opened their seventh Champions League appearance against Atalanta at Maksimir stadium with a shocking 4:0 victory. They fell to City both times, drew to Shakhtar twice, and couldn’t do itagainst Atalanta the second time around. The Zagreb club finished last in their group and will not continue their European run in the spring. 

Croatia Water Polo: It was a busy year for the Croatia water polo team, which began with the Europa Cup in Zagreb, where Croatia failed to defend the title after losing to Hungary in the final. From the Europa Cup to the World League Super Final in Serbia, Croatia went on to defeat Kazakhstan, Australia, Japan, and Spain for a spot in the final against Serbia, where they lost by one goal. The summer continued with the World Championships, where Croatia was again better than Australia,  the USA, and Kazakhstan. They defeated Germany in the quarterfinal but lost to Spain in the semis to miss their chance in the final. Croatia did, however, beat Hungary for third place. Croatia will compete in the Euros next month, where they will have to finish at the top to secure their spot in the Tokyo Olympics next summer. Croatia water polo ended the year with yet another impressive recognition as two team members are among the top seven in the world - Maro Jokovic and Josip Vrlic.

Croatia Tennis: Unlike last year, where Croatia took home the Davis Cup title, this year saw a Croatia squad plagued with injuries and a new coach just days before the tournament was to begin. Croatia didn’t make it out of their group this time around after falling to Russia and Spain, but they can be proud of their individual achievements. Osijek native Donna Vekic made it to the Nottingham final where she lost to Caroline Garcia.  She even advanced to the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters, Roland Garros, and the US Open. Petra Martic defeated 19-year-old Czech player Markéta Vondroušová to get her first WTA title at the Istanbul Cup.  Martic also secured the fourth WTA final of her career at the Zhengzhou Open, where she lost to Karolina Pliskova, and also faced Serena Williams in the US Open round of 16. Both Petra and Donna played in the WTA Elite Trophy tournament, which brings together female tennis players ranked 9th to 19th on the WTA ladder. Borna Coric made it to the semifinal of the Dubai Open, Rosmalen, and St. Petersburg, where he ultimately went on to the final. Marin Cilic’s first semifinal in fourteen months wasn’t until the Kremlin Cup back in October. The real star of Croatian tennis this year is Ivan Dodig, who won two ATP doubles titles with Filip Polasek, at the China Open and the Cincinnati Masters. Dodig also won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Latisha Chan and defended their Roland Garros title just weeks before. 

Sandra Perkovic: Sandra Perkovic failed to defend the world championship title in the discus throw this year, which she won two years ago in London, but still secured a medal at the World Championships in Doha. Namely, Perkovic won the bronze medal after throwing 66.72 meters in the first series of the finals, while Cubans Yaime Perez and Denia Caballero were the gold and silver medalists. This was Sandra’s fourth medal at the World Championships. Sandra became the world champion in Moscow in 2013 and London in 2017 and won the silver in Beijing in 2015. In addition to four world championship medals, Perkovic is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time European champion.

Croatia Gymnastics: It was another big year for Tin Srbic, who won the silver medal at the European Championships in Szczecin in the horizontal bar event. The Croatian gymnast went on to win the gold medal with an impressively high score of 14.900 points at the World Cup in Paris, and ended the year with a silver medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart. He was also named the best Croatian male athlete by the Croatian Olympic Committee. 

Croatia’s best female gymnast Ana Đerek won the gold medal at the World Cup competition in Osijek after a brilliant floor performance, and Robert Seligman advanced to the Cottbus World Cup finals in the pommel horse. 

Sinkovic Brothers: The dynamic duo did it again! The year began with a second-place medal in the coxless pairs at the World Cup in Plovdiv, though it only went up from there. Martin and Valent Sinkovic defended their world rowing championship title in the coxless pairs in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, and ended the year as the best rowing team in the world, declared by the FISA World Rowing Organization!

Snjezana Pejcic: Croatia's best female shooter Snjezana Pejcic and her Indian teammate Divyansh Singh Panwar won the mixed team air rifle competition to wrap up the World Cup final in Putian, China. Pejcic has already qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will be her fourth appearance at the Olympic Games. 

Croatia Taekwondo: The Croatia national team finished their appearance at the European Senior Championships with three medals - silver medals for Lovro Brecic and Toni Kanaet and a bronze for Matea Jelic. 

Dino Sinovcic: Croatian Paralympian Dino Sinovcic won the 100m backstroke gold medal in the S6 category at the WPS World Paralympic Championships in London. Sinovic won at the Queen Elizabeth Aquatic Center with a time of 1:15.46, ahead of the Chinese swimmer Hong Yang who swam a time of 1:15.47 for the silver, and Argentine Matias De Andrade, who swam a time of 1:16.91 for the bronze. 

Stipe Miocic: The 36-year-old Croatian-American Stipe Miocic defeated 40-year-old American Daniel Cormier by a knockout in the fourth round of the UFC 241 fight held in Anaheim, California. Stipe thus won sweet revenge on Cormier and brought back the UFC Heavyweight Champion title to Ohio after he lost it to Cormier in Las Vegas 13 months before. The fight between Miocic and Cormier lasted more than 19 minutes, in which the title defender had more significant blows (123-98). 

Croatia Karate: The karate gold and silver came to Croatia thanks to the brilliant Kvesic brothers from Karate club Hercegovina-Zagreb. At this year's European Games in Minsk, Ivan Kvesic won the gold medal while his brother Anđelo Kvesic secured the silver. Croatian representatives returned home with eight medals from the European Games in Minsk - two gold, one silver and five bronze.

To read more about Croatian sport, follow TCN's dedicated page.  

December 20, 2019 -  Athlete Sandra Perkovic and gymnast Tin Srbic were named the best Croatian athletes by the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO), while rowers Martin and Valent Sinkovic were named best crew, couple or relay for the seventh consecutive time.

HRT writes that Perkovic won the title of the best Croatian female athlete for a record eighth time in a row, while the world and European champion Srbic was named for the second time by the Croatian Olympic Committee.

“It hasn’t been going well for me lately, but the Tokyo Olympics are coming. We had a miracle in Rio, with ten medals, and I think in Tokyo, Croatian athletes can win more. I started with preparations stronger than in the previous years, and after London and Rio, there are secret desires that I want to fulfill in Tokyo. I just need to stay healthy,” said Perkovic, who won bronze in the discus throw at the Doha World Championships this year.

Gymnast Tin Srbic became the best Croatian athlete for the second time and announced that he is competing for the medal in Tokyo next year. Srbic was the finalist at the World Championships on the horizontal bar in Germany's Stuttgart, and earlier this year, Tin also won the silver medal at the European Championships in Szczecin.

“Two years ago, I was the world champion, and for the first time, the laureate of the HOO. Everything happened so suddenly. Now, I'm more aware of my great results. I dream of Tokyo and I can't wait for it,” said Srbic briefly.

The brothers Valent and Martin Sinkovic dominated the coxless pairs in 2019, becoming European champions in Lucerne in June, and world champions three months later in Linz. They also took home the International Rowing Federation’s title of Best Male Crew in 2019.

“We are training, there are no injuries and we are ready for Tokyo - and we feel ready for the Paris Olympics in five years. Coach Bralic also recently got a new hip for us, so he will be ready for Paris as well. The transition to a new discipline has proven to be excellent and we plan to take the gold in Tokyo,” Martin Sinkovic said.

The success of the Sinkovic brothers was complemented by their coach Nikola Bralic, who won the title of the best Croatian coach for the fourth time.

“We will strive to maintain the level we’ve had so far in the next year. So that we remain the best,” Bralic commented briefly.

The most successful team in 2019 goes to Croatia water polo, as they won the bronze at the World Championships in South Korea's Gwangju, while the best women's team is the Croatian bowling team, which won the World Championships in the Czech Republic.

The award for the best Croatian sports promoter in the world went to Luka Modric. His father Stipe received the award on Luka's behalf.

HOO's traditional Matija Ljubek Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Vinko Dobric, Tennis Club Osijek, the Croatian Rowing Federation, Lokomotiva Zagreb Handball Club and DOŠK Basketball Club from Drnis.

The HOO's special award for fair play went to Valentina Pereglin, a member of the Croatian crossbow team, while special recognition for promoting sports went to Sports Television (SPTV).

Until December 10 this year, Croatian athletes competed in 138 world championships, 185 European championships, 111 world and 59 European cups. A total of 384 medals were won at the international competitions, of which 119 are gold, 101 are silver, and 164 are bronze.

“This year was extremely successful, which will be followed by an exciting sports year in 2020, the Olympic year with the Games in Tokyo, the year of the European Handball, Water Polo and Football Championships, and the Davis Cup. Next year, there will be as many as 1060 performances by Croatian athletes internationally, which is a really big number. Croatia is a superpower in sport; to this day, we have 125 athletes in the Olympic program, and we will surely go to Tokyo with many of our athletes for new successes,” said HOO President Zlatko Matesa.

The ceremony at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb was attended by many prominent sports and social figures in Croatia, as well as the Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 7, 2019 - 'Discus Queen' Sandra Perkovic will not compete in the Diamond League next year as the discus throw has been eliminated from the program. 

T.portal writes that the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) has identified the disciplines that will be in the Diamond League program for 2020. However, there is no discus throw among those selected, meaning that Croatia’s best female athlete Sandra Perkovic will not compete in the most elite series of athletic meetings.

In addition to removing the discus throw from the Diamond League program, they dropped the triple jump and 200m and 3000m hurdles. The IAAF's decision applies to both the male and female competition.

Thus, we will certainly not see Croatia’s best female athlete in the strongest competition of the world's best female athletes next year. This also means a substantial financial loss for Sandra, as it includes tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses, and appearances in the Diamond League also binds generous sponsors.

Note that the 'reformed' Diamond League will have 14 meetings in the program and the already traditional Zurich finals. Athletes will compete in 12 disciplines, with IAAF leaders explaining that the discus throw, triple jump and 3000m hurdles race were eliminated because they are 'at the bottom of the list of interesting disciplines chosen by the polled spectators'. The 200 meter hurdles race was ’sacrificed' because of the much more popular 100 meter race.

However, it has been announced that the discus throw will be in one of the 12 Diamond League meetings, but will certainly not be in the Zurich finals.

The good news is that Sandra Perkovic will not run out of competition next year as she will find solace in the Continental Tour, a new series of meetings that will nominally be a step below the Diamond League. So, which cities will host Sandra Perkovic next season? Perhaps the cities where the IAAF World Challenge were held - like Sao Paolo, Osaka, Nanjing, Hengelo, Turku, Ostrava, Berlin, and Zagreb.

The IAAF also announced that at the end of next season, they would re-evaluate all disciplines, including those eliminated, in order to make a better decision on the discipline program for 2021. 

"I can understand all the disappointed athletes whose disciplines are not in the Diamond League, but we must also strive for more exciting disciplines," said Sebastian Coe, president of the Diamond League.

Thus, next year, only Croatian athletes Ana Simic (high jump), Filip Mihaljevic and Stipe Zunic (shot put), and Sarah Kolak (javelin throw) will compete in the Diamond League. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

October 5, 2019 - Sandra Perkovic secured the bronze medal at the World Championships in Doha. 

HRT reports that Sandra Perkovic failed to defend the world championship title in the discus throw, which she won two years ago in London, but still secured a medal at the World Championships in Doha. 

Namely, Perkovic won the bronze medal after throwing 66.72 meters in the first series of the finals, while Cubans Yaime Perez and Denia Caballero were the gold and silver medalists.

Yaime Perez has proven to be the best discus thrower this season and for the first time in her career, has won medals in major competitions, the world championships, and the Olympics. Perez booked the winning 69.17-meter throw in the fifth series after compatriot Denia Caballero briefly led with a 68.44-meter throw in the fourth series.

Unfortunately, after an excellent opening, Sandra Perkovic had a worse attempt in the second series (62.39 m). However, in the third, she hinted that she could still fight for the gold when she threw over 66 meters (66.19 m).

“I’m glad I secured a medal in the first series, I'm sorry I didn't do more,” Perkovic said after the finals.

“I want to congratulate the girls for taking gold and silver. What you can you do - that’s that. Next year is the Olympics, and we know what to expect.”

Perkovic revealed to HRT that she almost canceled her performance due to an injury.

“I didn't finish yesterday's training, and I came a lot more prepared than I was all today. I didn't know if I was going to perform at all, and I was in the room the whole time. Even my mom didn't know; I told her it was a milder injury. But I also managed to get a medal. This is my fourth medal at the World Championships, and I hope for a better spot in Tokyo,” Perkovic said.

This is Sandra’s fourth medal at the World Championships. Recall, Sandra became the world champion in Moscow in 2013 and London in 2017 and won the silver in Beijing in 2015.

In addition to four world championship medals, Perkovic is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time European champion.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

September 7, 2019 - Cuban Yaime Perez was again fatal to the Olympic gold medalist, world and European champion Sandra Perkovic at the finals of the Diamond Athletic League in Brussels.

HRT reports that Perez won first place throwing a distance of 68.27 meters, while Perkovic was second with 66 meters. Last year, Yaime Perez celebrated in the Diamond League final, although Sandra Perkovic was undefeated in Brussels at the time.

Yaime Perez took the lead in the first series with a throw of 65.95 meters, while Sandra Perkovic finished in the net. In the second series, Perkovic threw 65.48 meters, which pushed her into second, a place she held until the end. In the fourth series, Perez further solidified her lead with a throw of 67.24 meters. In the subsequent series, Perkovic threw 66 meters, which meant that Perez won the Diamond League for the second consecutive time, celebrating with the best throw of the competition - 68.27 meters.

Sandra Perkovic achieved three accurate throws in Brussels, and three days ago at the Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb, she delivered 67.78-meters. Sandra’s best result this year is from August when she threw 68.68 meters in the European League Championships in Varazdin.

Third place went to Germany's Kristin Pudenz (63.73 meters), who was second in Zagreb, while Cuban Denia Caballero finished fourth (63.53 meters).

Ana Simic made it to the Diamond League final in the high jump. She finished eighth with Sweden's Erika Kinsey and jumped 185 cm.

Simic managed 180 and 185 cm from the first attempt, though 189 cm was too high for our jumper, whose personal record is 199 cm. This season, Simic boasts a high jump of 194 cm.

Russian athlete Maria Lasitskene celebrated in the high jump with 199 cm. After securing the victory, she also tried to jump 204 cm, but all three times she was unsuccessful. Second place went to Ukraine's Yulia Levchenko with 197 cm and third to Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam with 195 cm.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

September 4, 2019 - Olympian Sara Kolak has set a new javelin throw record at the IAAF World Challenge Zagreb - "Hanžek". 

The gold medalist javelin thrower from the 2016 Rio Olympics achieved her first victory at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Zagreb, setting a new record of 66.42 meters, reports Index.hr.

This is also Sarah's best result this season in her first competition, led by her new coach, the legendary Norwegian javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen.

"The goal was to do the first three throws as best I could. I wanted some of the details I worked on to match, and it worked. I'm glad I went into the first throw relaxed, because I was always nervous with the first one. I was very pleased. The audience was phenomenal, and they carried me through. I'm glad this happened at home, and it is a great result before Doha. We have three weeks to prepare and all thoughts are on Doha,” said Sara Kolak after breaking the record and added:

"The hardest part is staying the same, after every great result, staying the same person you were before. I try to stay the same, even better - it's crazy. I want to be Sara, who enjoys throwing and not burdening herself with other things."

Sara Kolak’s first three throws were over 60 meters (65.82 and 61.51), and her longest (66.42) was longer than her throw to win the 2016 Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.

Sara Kolak celebrated at Mladost in front of Canadian Elizabeth Gleadle (63.77 m), Polish thrower Maria Andrejczyk (60.91 m) and Slovenian Martina Ratej (60.50 m).

Furthermore, the world's best discus thrower Sandra Perkovic achieved her eighth victory by throwing 67.78 meters in her 12th appearance at the IAAF World Challenge Series in Zagreb, while the second Croatian representative Marija Tolj finished third with a distance of 62.57 meters.

"I am very pleased with this performance. The new round at the stadium is very fast, but I have shown that I can throw well. I am only sorry that the last throw ended up in the net," Perkovic said on Gol.hr.

The Olympic gold medalist and world and European discus champion achieved her second best throw this season, just short of the 68.58 meters she has achieved at the European League competition in Varazdin.

"I wanted to be in the best possible mental and physical condition at Hanzek, because on Friday I am expected to appear in the final of the Diamond League in Brussels, where I am going for the win. My priority this year is the Doha World Cup, second in the list is the Diamond League, while Hanzek was in third place."

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

August 25, 2019 - Croatia's best female athlete and two-time Olympic gold discus thrower Sandra Perković finished second in the Diamond League in Paris with a result of 65.01 meters, while Cuban Denia Caballero finished in first with a throw of 1.90 meters, reports HRT.

Perković poorly opened the competition, and in the first two series, she had two faulty throws and managed 64.65 meters in the third series, giving her second place and three additional series. Her best throw of the evening came in the sixth series, but even that 65.01 meters did not threaten Caballero's victory.

Perković’s result from Paris is 3.57 meters lower than her best result of the season she set two weeks ago at the European Team Championships in Varaždin. Chinese Bin Feng took third place after throwing 64.60 meters.

By the end of the Diamond League competition, Perković is still expected to make her final appearance in Zurich on Thursday. Until the Doha World Cup (September 27 - October 6), Perković will perform in Zagreb on September 3, and at the Europe-USA duel in Minsk (September 9-10).

Filip Mihaljević also performed in Paris and finished sixth in the shot put after throwing 21.22-meters, while New Zealand's Tomas Walsh won with a new record of 22.44 meters.

Mihaljević made his best shot in the final, sixth series, jumping from eighth to sixth place, surpassing Polish shot putter Konrad Bukowiecki in seventh and Luxembourgian Bob Bertemes in eighth by two centimeters. 

The result of the Croatian representative achieved in Paris is 62 centimeters lower than his Croatian record, which he set three months ago in Slovenska Bistrica.

Walsh had a great series, even breaking the 22-meter record he set last year four times and throwing the furthest in the first series when the shot put landed at 22.44 meters. Second place went to Joe Kovacs of the USA who threw 22.11 meters, and third to Brazilian Darlan Romani who achieved 21.56 meters.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

August 11, 2019 - World champion discus thrower Sandra Perković celebrated at the European Athletics Team Championships Second League in Varaždin on Saturday, throwing 68.58 meters, which is her longest this season.

Thus, Croatia is sixth place after the first day with 149 points, while Estonia leads with 185 points, reports HRT.

Perković threw 59.85 meters in the first of her four attempts at the competition, but in the second attempt, she hit a respectable and unreachable 68.58, which is the longest shot in the history of the Second League competition, the third in the world this season, and the longest in Europe. In the remaining two attempts, Perković crossed the line, but was the only Croatian to celebrate on the first day in Varaždin.

Filip Mihaljević was second in the shot-put with an excellent 21.03 meters, confirming good form ahead of the World Cup in Doha. In this discipline, the best was Bertemes from Luxemburg, who achieved 21.64 meters. Sanjin Šimić came in second in the long jump with 7.63 meters, 15 centimeters less than the Latvian winner.

Anamarija Kožul finished third in the hammer throw with 64.79 meters, while Ida Šimunčić also finished third in the 400 hurdles with a time of 58.66 seconds and was close to her personal record. Lucia Pokos finished the 100 meters in 10th with a time of 12.36 seconds, and Lana Juriša finished eighth in the pole vault with a jump of 3.65 meters.

Ivona Zemunik finished sixth in the 800 meters and broke her personal record (2:08.45), and Marija Ivanković was sixth in the triple jump with 12.81 meters. Katarina Vukančićfinished ninth in the 3000 meters (9:56.81), Kristina Dudek came fifth in the 400 meters (54.72), and Sandra Šrut placed eighth in the 3000 hurdles with a time of 11:33.57 minutes.

Zvonimir  Ivašković finished fifth in the 100 meters with 10.84 seconds, and Mateo Parlov was seventh with 52.47 seconds in the 400 hurdles. Bartul Bašić was fifth in the javelin with 65.17 meters and Daniel Ivaničić finished eighth in the 1500 meters with 3: 59.80 minutes. Mateo Ružić was fourth in the 400 meters with 47.43 seconds, Filip Mrčić was seventh in the high jump with 2.06 meters, and Petar Bratulić was eighth in the 5000 meters with a personal record of 14:52.09 minutes.

The Croatian women's 4x100 meters relay finished ninth (45.91), while the men's relay finished with 41.20 seconds in eighth place.

Teams from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Croatia take part in the Second League competition. Only the top team from Varaždin goes to moves to a higher rank, while the last five fall into the lower league. The second and final day is scheduled for Sunday.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

At a press conference ahead of the start of the summer season and the Diamond League in Stockholm, Croatia’s best female athlete Sandra Perković revealed that her coach Edis Elkasević received an excellent financial offer to work abroad, which he is ready to accept. This would leave Perković without a coach for the next Olympic year, as she believes no one can replace Elkasević, reports HRT on May 24, 2019. 

“Edis Elkasević has received a great offer from abroad, so there is the possibility that in 2020 he will not be my coach. In these few months, we have to see how and what we can accomplish, what will be the continuation of our career - because of the financial resources he receives in Croatia, the man has decided, and I do not blame him, to look for his destiny elsewhere. In agreement with the sponsors and my other team, we are trying to keep Edis in Croatia,” Sandra Perković said during a press conference held in Zagreb on Friday to kick off her premiere performance in the Diamond League this season,  which will be held on Thursday, May 30 in Stockholm.

When asked if anyone could replace Elkasević, Perković answered briefly and clearly:

“Nobody.”

Perković had announced that she could follow Elkasević.

"My whole world is facing the Olympics in Tokyo and there is a great possibility that I could leave after it, which would not be good for him, for me, nor the whole of Croatia.”

Perković did not wish to reveal which country the offer for her coach came from. Elkasević and Perković have been working together since 2012.

“If we do not realize what we are planning in the next few months, you will be informed about it.”

According to the rules of the International Athletics Federation (IAAF), coaches do not have national restrictions on engagement in other states, while competitors wishing to change their nationality must wait four years to be able to perform under the flag of another country. 

Sandra Perković has pointed to the financial problems in her sport for years, in which she and her team have worked hard to change. However, the improvements are insufficient and slow.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

December 30, 2018 - The year 2018 will be remembered as the greatest year of Croatian sport - and no, not just because Croatia became World Cup finalists and brought home the Davis Cup. 

Did you know that in the 365 days of 2018, Croatian athletes participated in some 700 World and European competitions and brought home 292 medals, of which 97 are gold, 85 are silver and 110 are bronze? 

In 2018, Croatian athletes lifted the dark cloud over them made up of poor infrastructure and conditions, bureaucracy, and incomprehensible laws, and pushed to the bring home the most significant achievements since Croatia became an independent state. 

In 2018, Croatian athletes surprised and succeeded, and the fans at home and abroad certainly made sure they returned the favor, showing their pride and appreciation in ways the country had never experienced before. 

To a year in sport summarized best by a Zaprešić Boys song you may have heard one too many times - 2018 was indescribable. 

Croatia becomes World Cup finalists 

It seems the only logical place to begin is Russia. Without diminishing the importance of any sport or any other success achieved this year, Croatian football’s second place at the World Cup is an unbelievable result given the circumstances and whirlwind of events it took for them to get there. 

This generation of Croatian football knew it was their last opportunity to accomplish something big - and the international media was watching. After Čačić’s downfall, Croatia’s dreams of advancing to the World Cup at all were grim. But a man mostly unknown in the world of Croatian football stepped in to save the day - and that man was Zlatko Dalić. 

Not only did he slowly begin to restore the faith in the national team, but Dalić took the team to Russia with self-confidence, unity, and a wave of positivity. His tactics brought Croatia their first group stage victory against Nigeria, which was followed by an unbelievable bashing of Messi’s Argentina. Croatia’s reserves pulled out a win against Iceland to top the group, and the momentum behind the team only grew stronger. 

Some might say that Croatia had an easier road to the final than France, though if you ask members of the team or the fans who watched the knockout stages of the competition clinching their teeth - it was no walk in the park. Against Denmark and the host Russia, Croatia took the games into the extra time and penalties - and prevailed. Against England, Croatia came back from 0:1 and again pushed the game to 120 minutes. They sealed their first World Cup final in history. 

Croatia met France in the final, a country that has as many registered footballers as Croatia’s population. With every atom of energy they had left, Croatia fought in the final with intensity and class, though a bit of bad luck gave France the Cup in the end. 

But you wouldn’t know it if you happened to be in Croatia.

Despite the defeat, Croatians rushed to the streets to welcome their World Cup finalists. Over half a million people in Zagreb alone braved the summer heat for over six hours to welcome the silver medalists. Whether it was silver or gold, everyone in Croatia was aware this was an accomplishment they might never witness again. 

Luka Modrić wins the Ballon d’Or… and everything else in 2018

Riding the wave of Croatia’s success, Luka Modrić had the season of a lifetime. After winning his third consecutive Champions League title with Real Madrid (and his fourth overall), Luka’s flawless World Cup performance secured him the Golden Ball of the tournament - and then the accolades kept coming. 

Following the World Cup, Luka was named the best player in Europe by UEFA and the world by FIFA. He was the favorite for France Football’s Ballon d’Or and won - breaking the decade-long domination of Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi.

Thus, Luka Modrić picked up every major individual award for the best player in 2018. But if you ask him, he’ll say his favorite award of the year was becoming World Cup finalists with Croatia. 

Croatian tennis wins their second Davis Cup title

2018 was coming to an end, and the football euphoria was beginning to fade - but it was Croatia’s tennis players to lift it back up. After Croatia’s stellar semi-final result in Zadar against the USA, they journeyed to France for the final. Seeking revenge for Croatian football, on day one of the finals, Marin Čilić and Borna Ćorić put Croatia in the lead with 2:0. Though France won the doubles match on Saturday, Croatia’s best tennis player Marin Čilić pulled out the win against Lucas Pouille on Sunday for Croatia’s second Davis Cup title in history. 

This was Croatia’s second Davis Cup title after winning in 2005, though this Davis Cup had even more meaning - it will forever remain that Croatia won the last Davis Cup as we know it. Recall, the competition is moving to a new format next year. 

Sandra Perković becomes the European Champions for the 5th time

What a year it has been for the Discus Queen, Sandra Perković. In 2018, Perković became the first athlete, male or female, to win the European Championships five times. Croatia’s cherished discus thrower won in Barcelona in 2010, Helsinki in 2012, Zürich in 2014, Amsterdam in 2016 and this year in Berlin - where she threw 67.62 meters.

Croatia’s best female athlete and one of the best of all time also experienced a great injustice in the Diamond League this year. Though she was convincingly the best in the competition, winning all four previous meetings, according to the new rules, all points were erased, and only the final in Brussels decided the winner. Sandra was not ready for the final as she had fallen ill and finished third, giving Sandra her first defeat after 13 months and leaving her without her seventh consecutive Diamond League title. 

Sinković Brothers become European and World Champions in a new discipline 

Martin and Valent Sinković delighted the world once again. After three unbeatable seasons in double sculls, the discipline in which they won all they could (Olympic, World, and European gold), in 2016, after winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rio, they decided to take on a new discipline - men’s pairs. 

Though many wondered why the duo would take on a new challenge when they were already the best, the brothers once again showed that could reach the top - no matter the obstacles ahead. In 2018, Martin and Valent became European and World champions in their new discipline - pairs! 

Croatian water polo wins the bronze at the European Championships 

In the shadow of Croatia’s spectacular performance in Russia this summer, Croatian water polo won their first European medal in eight years at the European Championship in Barcelona in July. Though Ivica Tucak’s team lost to Serbia in the semifinals 9:7, they defeated Italy 10:8 for the third place and thus the bronze medal.

Fantela Brothers became World Champions in sailing 

Šime and Mihovil Fantela from Zadar had a stellar sailing season. The duo won the gold in the 49er class at the World Championship in Aarhus in August after only sailing this discipline for a year! Just how dominant they were is shown by the fact that the brothers secured the gold even before the final sail. 

Best of all, the Fantela brothers were also nominated for the Rolex World Sailor of the Year award, placing them among the five best sailors in the world. 

Dino Rađa inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame

Dino Rađa became a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Illinois in September.

Rađa thus became the fourth Croatian to be honored with this most prestigious achievement in basketball after Krešimir Ćosić, Dražen Petrović, and Mirko Novosel.

Croatia’s U-21 football team advances to Euro 2019 for the first time in 15 years 

Croatia’s young footballers showed they had talent this year, too. After a 4:0 win over San Marino in October, Croatia become one of the twelve teams who will compete at the 2019 Euros. While this is the third time Croatia’s U-21 team will play in the tournament, it is the first time Croatia has advanced to the Euros in 15 years. The last time Croatia competed was in Germany 2004, where they took the last place in the group. 

?⚪️ Qualified! ?⚪️#BeProud #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/sqGKV2xvPa

— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) October 15, 2018

Marin Ranteš becomes BMX World Champion 

Croatia even had a world champion in extreme sports this year. Varaždin native Marin Ranteš became the world champion of BMX. Ranteš was the overall winner of the FISE World Series in Hiroshima, Montpellier, Edmonton, and Chengdu, China, and even won HOO’s fair play award!

Dinamo Zagreb end their European curse 

Dinamo Zagreb has had a phenomenal year and an even better Europa League campaign. Topping their group with four wins in the first four games and two draws, Dinamo has thus broken their 49-year-old curse and will advance to the next stage of the competition in the spring.

Nenad Bjelica’s side will play against Viktoria Plzen in the round of 32 in February. 

And that’s not all…

Split’s Ivan Šarić won first place at the European Chess Championships in Batumi, Georgia in a competition of 302 players from 34 countries. Gymnast Robert Seligman won the silver medal at the European Championships in Glasgow for the pommel horse, and Tin Srbić won two gold medals in the World Cup in Doha and Osijek. 

Croatia’s representatives in Taekwondo brought home eight medals from the European Championships in Kazan, of which three are gold, and Ivan Kvesić became the world champion in karate. In this sport, the national team also won two gold and two bronze medals at the senior European Championships in Novi Sad.

Croatia’s Paralympians were also incredibly successful at the Winter Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang. Dino Sokolović won the gold medal in the skiing slalom competition and Bruno Bošnjak won the bronze in the banked slalom for snowboarding. 

There was almost no archery competition where Croatian representatives did not bring back at least one medal. At the World Cup in South Korea, Petar Gorša, Snježana Pejčić, Miran Maričić and Josip Kuna won two silver and three bronze medals. Anton Glasnović won the silver at the European Championships for trap shooting, and we were even better in the crossbow.

At the European Championships in Estonia, Croatia won five gold, three silver, and two bronze medals. The European champions were Domagoj Pereglin, Valentina Pereglin and junior Martin Oboroveck, and the male and female team competitions. 

Have we missed anything yet?

This unbelievable year in Croatian sport is the result of the dedication, will, ambition, and effort made by Croatian athletes. 

What will 2019 bring?

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Sources: T.portal and Index.hr