Logo

News26 Apr 2010


Croatian Athletics history at a glance - IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup

FacebookTwitterEmail

As Split prepares to host the 2010 Edition of the IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup on 4-5 September, the picturesque Dalmatian coastal town hopes to not only add to its own rich sporting legacy, but to Croatia’s as well.

With a population of just over 200,000, this charming city on the Adriatic fancies itself as one of the “sportiest” per capita in the world. With some 170 Olympians collecting 69 medals over the years, that self-ascribed descriptor is an apt one. That same success relates to Croatia as a whole as well, as this country of just under 4.5 million has managed to produce numerous high level successes in a variety of sports, athletics included.

While two-time World High Jump champion Blank Vlasic, who proudly calls Split home, is certainly the most recognisable name in Croatian athletics, other notables have preceded her.

Susanj, European 800m champion

The biggest name prior to Vlasic was that of Luciano Susanj, the 1974 European 800m champion. In Rome that year, Susanj, who is currently the President of the Croatian Athletics Federation (HAS), dominated the competition with a 1:44.07 performance, winning by more than a second-and-a-half. Incidentally, well back in second was a 19-year-old from Great Britain who had just made his first splash at senior level, Steve Ovett.

Earlier that year, Susanj also won the European indoor title in the 800m and later went on to finish sixth at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Illustrating his range, Susanj also struck gold over 400m at the European indoors in 1973.

Another notable name from the mid-1970s period was that of Jelica Pavlicic, who collected three European indoor championship medals in the 400m: gold in 1974 just three days after her 20th birthday, silver in 1976, and bronze in 1977.

Mihalic, Boston Marathon winner

A pioneering figure in Croatian – and Yugoslav - distance running was Franjo Mihalic, the 1956 Olympic silver medallist in the Marathon. Two years later Mihalic won the Boston Marathon on an unseasonably warm day, defeating defending champion John J. Kelly by nearly five minutes in 2:25:24. A three-time winner of the fabled Cinque Mullini Cross Country race, Mihalic remains active in the sport, working as a coach in Belgrade where he has lived since the late 1940s.

Post-independence

Since declaring independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, two Croatian athletes have reached the podium at the European Championships. The first, and most prolific, was middle distance runner Branko Zorko, who took bronze outdoors in the 1500m in 1994. Zorko also made his appearances at the continental indoor championships count. The 1990 bronze medallist in the 3000m while still competing for Yugoslavia, Zorko added 1500m bronze in 1992, and followed up with silver in 1994. Zorko remains the national record holder outdoors in the 1500m (3:33.30), mile (3:52.64), 2000m (4:58.02) and 3000m (7:48.42).

The second was Sinisa Ergotic who took silver in the Long Jump in 2002 with a leap of 8.00m even. Now retired, Ergotic is the CEO of both the Croatian Athletics Federation and the Local Organising Committee of this year’s Continental Cup. He is the national record holder, with a pair of 8.23m leaps to his credit.

Three World junior champions


While Vlasic is still the country’s sole World champion at the senior level, others have joined her among the ranks of World’s finest juniors. When Vlasic won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2002, she was joined by Ivana Brkljacic, who took the World junior title in the Hammer Throw on both occasions. And more recently, Danijela Grgic struck World junior gold in the 400m in 2006.

After 20 years, another international gathering

The Continental Cup will not be the first multi-nation athletics competition hosted by Split. In 1990, the city hosted the 15th edition of the European Athletics Championships, a gathering of 952 athletes from 33 countries.  Some of the athletes who captured headlines then were former Olympic champions and World record holders Linford Christie, Colin Jackson, Heike Henkel and Heike Drechsler.

Another was a high jumper who competed for the local ASK club, Biljana Petrovic, who took silver behind Henkel. This year another high jumper from that same club is expected to make an even bigger splash.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Pages related to this article
DisciplinesCompetitions
Loading...