President Milanović Decorates Croatian Olympic and Paralympic Athletes and Sports Associations for Achievements at Paris Olympic Games

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović presented decorations today to Croatian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and coaches who have not been decorated previously, but won medals at the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. He also presented the Charter of the Republic of Croatia to the Croatian Athletics Federation, the Croatian Rowing Federation and the Croatian Judo Federation.

Addressing the gathering, President Milanović pointed out that measuring success in sports is often simple, unlike some other social activities.

“Fortunately, when it comes to sports, things are quite clear. You are selected based on your results. The community, the Croatian state, in this symbolic way, recognizes what you have done,” said President Milanović, emphasizing the importance of clear criteria for awards.

In his address, the President of the Republic emphasized the personal dimension of athletes’ success, stressing hard work, ambition and love for sports that are the basis of every achievement. “These are all personal stories behind which stand the people themselves, their families, parents, friends, boyfriends and girlfriends. This duality of this success is, in my opinion, the essence and focus of this success story. So, it starts first of all from a personal love for sports, from ambition, the desire for success, which is a human drive and incentive. And that is inseparable from human nature,” he said.

President Milanović referred to the magnificent feeling of athletes when representing Croatia under the national flag: “When the national anthem plays, you stand under it. And that has got to be a magnificent thing which I have not experienced and never will, and I have the right to be a little envious”.

At the end of his address, President Milanović thanked all the athletes, their families, coaches and sports federations for their contribution to Croatian sports and the promotion of the Croatian name around the world. “Once again thank you on my behalf, on behalf of the Republic of Croatia, if I may say so in a symbolic way. We are following what you are doing, we watched the Olympic Games with excitement and joy, and I believe we will watch them again. Some of you, and certainly some new ones, will stand under the Croatian flag while the Croatian anthem is playing”, President Milanović concluded.

The president of the Croatian Paralympic Committee, Ratko Kovačić, also addressed the gathering. He highlighted the pride for the success of the Croatian Paralympic athletes who competed in six sports in Paris with 22 athletes and won four medals. “Those are outstanding results of a young generation that is looking to the future, and the successes are the fruit of the committed work of coaches and professional staff despite modest conditions”, Kovačić stated.

The president of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, underlined that the successes of Croatian athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris confirm the global recognition of Croatian sports. He stressed that it is an extraordinary feat to be among 15 percent of the best from 206 countries. “These decorations are a token of gratitude to athletes, coaches and federations for excellent results that spread the glory of our country all around the world”, Mateša noted.

For outstanding sports achievements and winning medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, the promotion of sports and the international standing of the Republic of Croatia, the Order of the Croatian Star with the Effigy of Franjo Bučar is awarded to: Barbara Matić, gold medal winner in judo; Donna Vekić, silver medal winner in tennis; Toni Popadić, silver medal winner in water polo, which is accepted by the secretary of the Croatian Water Polo Federation Ivan Milaković; Lena Stojković, bronze medal winner in taekwondo; bronze medal winner in shot put Luka Baković; bronze medal winner in air rifle shooting; and coaches Damir Bošnjak, Nikola Horvat, Veljko Laura, Marko Mastelić and Vladimir Preradović.

For extraordinary merit in the promotion, encouragement and development of athletics in the Republic of Croatia and top sports results achieved at home and abroad, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia is awarded to the Croatian Athletics Federation. The Charter is accepted by the vice-president of the Croatian Athletics Federation Marko Jakopović.

For extraordinary merit in the promotion, encouragement and development of judo in the Republic of Croatia and top sports results achieved at home and abroad, the Charter of the Republic of Croatia is awarded to the Croatian Judo Federation. The Charter is accepted by the president of the Croatian Judo Federation Sanda Čorak.

The Charter of the Republic of Croatia is also awarded to the Croatian Rowing Federation for extraordinary merit in the promotion, encouragement and development of rowing in the Republic of Croatia and top sports results achieved at home and abroad. The Charter of the Republic of Croatia is accepted by the president of the Croatian Rowing Federation Željko Kisić.

On behalf of the decorated athletes and their coaches, Barbara Matić, Croatian judo Olympian and gold medalist in judo at the 2024 Paris Olympics, addressed the gathering, emphasizing that sports are much more than just a competition and an opportunity to represent Croatia to the world: “We all have the opportunity, through hard work and effort, to contribute to raising awareness about our Croatia and show who and what we are,” she said. She also emphasized that this recognition will be an additional motivation for future successes. “I hope that we will continue to make you proud and that we can expect even more medals in the future,” she concluded.

Along with the decorated athletes and their coaches were representatives of the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Croatian Paralympic Committee, the Croatian Canoe Federation, the Croatian Athletics Federation, the Croatian Swimming Federation, the Croatian Shooting Federation, the Croatian Rowing Federation, the Croatian Tennis Association, the Croatian Judo Federation, the Croatian Table Tennis Association, the Croatian Handball Association, the Croatian Gymnastics Federation, the Croatian Taekwondo Federation and the Croatian Water Polo Federation.

Alongside President Milanović were the Head of the Office of the President Orsat Miljenić, the Head of the Cabinet of the President Bartol Šimunić, the Commissioner of the President for Sports Tomislav Paškvalin, the Adviser to the President for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Mulić, the Adviser to the President for Defense Ivica Olujić, the Adviser to the President for Foreign and European Policy Neven Pelicarić, the Adviser to the President for Education Jadranka Žarković, the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans  Marijan Mareković, the Special Adviser to the President for the Economy Velibor Mačkić, the Special Adviser to the President for Energy and Climate Julije Domac, the Special Adviser to the President for Culture Zdravko Zima, the Deputy Head of the Cabinet of the President Goran Grobotek and the Assistant Adviser to the President for the Economy Martina Ciglević.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek i Marko Beljan