FOCUS ON
PARIS 2024
INTERVIEW BOŽIDAR MALJKOVIĆ
President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia
SERBIAN HOUSE IN PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES ZORAN GAJIĆ Minister of Sport of the Government of the Republic of Serbia
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To victory in Paris!
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Corporate Communications Manager Zlatiborac DOO
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THE BUDGETS OF SOME OF OUR BASKETBALL CLUBS ARE FIVE TIMES LARGER THAN THE BUDGET OF THE SERBIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE! THAT’S NOT NORMAL!
In Split, they asked me what Croatian sports need to be better. I answered them, “You need Aleksandar Vučić!” Half of the hall applauded, the other half was silent!
Božidar Maljković met me in the lobby of the “Hyatt Regency” hotel, where he was staying during the Olympic Games in Paris. The evening before, we had met at the “Serbian House” during the celebration of the gold medal in shooting won by Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec, so we started our conversation on that topic.
It’s interesting how once again the greatest joy for the nation is brought by people like Zorana and Damir in sports that receive the least investment and media attention,” I remarked.
“Do you know how they got the money? We were all sitting with Vučić before the Olympic Games, and he asked, ‘What do you all need?’ Everyone was silent. I said, ‘Hey, shooters! Why are you silent? The shooters need help!’ In France, even racehorses have better conditions than our shooters. These wonderful people achieve the best results with their modest means. Recently, I was in Zrenjanin giving a speech and I said, ‘You people are phenomenal - 24 gold medals and you don’t have water! Maybe we should cut off water in the rest of Serbia so we can have such successes there too!’ Five days before the trip, neither Jelena Arunović nor Mikec’s brother Goran were supposed to go. Then I intervened. Do you know how hard it is to coach your own family? And now everyone is clapping and celebrating after they won the medal.”
In your speech at the “Serbian House” a few days ago, you mentioned that the budget of the Serbian Olympic Committee is 5 million euros, while the budgets of the basketball clubs “Zvezda” and “Partizan” are each 25 million, five times more. How did you manage to achieve such success, with Serbia being represented by as many as 113 athletes, the highest number since the breakup of the SFRY?
“Well, it’s simply not normal. I understand them; if they don’t buy foreign players and play only with our kids, they will have poor results. Good players cost money. But their benefit to the development of Serbian basketball is minimal. However, when the Olympic Games come around, everyone asks us, ‘Where are the medals?’
WHEN THE OLYMPIC GAMES COME AROUND, EVERYONE ASKS US, ‘WHERE ARE THE MEDALS?’
Although I’m not a member of any party, I have to say - Vučić helps us a lot and has a great understanding of all our problems, and I praise him from Skopje to Ljubljana wherever I go. I had a presentation in Split at the Medical Faculty. On stage were Jerkov, Rađa, and I. Someone from the audience stood up and asked, ‘Mr. Božo, what does Croatia need to achieve better results in sports?’ And I answered, ‘You need Aleksandar Vučić!’ Half of the hall applauded, the other half was silent. I always speak my mind, no matter where I am. And I am very well-liked in Split.
I used to ask that the “Pionir” Hall be named after Professor Aleksandar Nikolić while his wife Ksenija was still alive. Nothing happened. In 2016, I was sitting in Vučić’s office; he was the Prime Minister. He immediately called Goran Vesić, who was waiting in the next office. On the same day, I received a resolution to name “Pionir” Hall after Aleksandar Nikolić. I also pushed for the Ranko Žeravica Hall in New Belgrade with Šapić in 2016.
How did you like the opening ceremony of the Games?
“I knew the French would do something radically different. Although the ceremony was not to my taste, just like the one at the closing of the Tokyo Olympics, it was a great thing that this opening ceremony showcased all the beauties of Paris. I have had an apartment in this city for over 30 years and I truly consider Paris my own.”
BOŽIDAR MALJKOVIĆ President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia
SERBIAN HOUSE IN PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
In Paris at the beginning of the Olympic Games, the “Serbian House” was officially opened as part of the 2024 Olympic Games.
The opening ceremony was attended by Aleksandar Vučić, Milorad Dodik, French Minister of Foreign Trade Frank Rister, Minister of Sports Zoran Gajić, high-ranking French officials, and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
The “Serbian House,” located in La Villette Park, which will be named “Park of Nations” during the Olympics due to the presence of 15 national houses, will serve as a unique centre offering visitors a rich and interactive experience of Serbian culture, history, sports, and gastronomy.
This multifunctional pavilion is designed as a place where tradition meets modernity, featuring innovative multimedia presentations and cultural events. The centrepiece of the “Serbian House” will be the “Roots” art installation, standing 6.5 meters tall, symbolising the “Tree of Life,” representing the deep roots of the Serbian people and their traditions, culture, and history.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to see animations inspired by Serbian athletes and the works of Nadežda Petrović through advanced technological algorithms. Additionally, they will learn about prominent Serbian scientists and innovators like Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milanković.
Furthermore, the “Serbian House” will showcase a rich collection of documentary photo material from the Yugoslav Archives, being exhibited to the public for the first time. This material includes thousands of artefacts related to Serbia’s participation in previous Olympic Games.
The gastronomic section of the pavilion will allow visitors to enjoy traditional Serbian dishes prepared in a modern way by the most talented young chefs from Serbia’s Junior Chefs Club. The pavilion will also highlight Serbian
tourism, an economy based on modern technologies, scientific innovations, and plans for EXPO 2027.
In addition to cultural and gastronomic events, a rich supporting program is planned, including performances by renowned Serbian artists. The “Serbian House” will be open daily from 10 AM to 10 PM, with free admission for all visitors.
The “Serbian House” project is led by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Key partners are the Serbian Embassy in Paris, the Serbian Tourism Organization, and the Serbian Olympic Committee.
Day before the opening of Serbian House, minister Zoran Gajić, together with Serbian Olympic Committee President Božidar Maljković, and Olympic boxer Sara Ćirković opened the exhibition ‘The Path of True Values.’ in Serbian Cultural Centre in Paris.
At the opening of the exhibition, Minister of Sports Zoran Gajić addressed the visitors, expressing that great efforts have been made to present Serbia in Paris in a modern, creative, and original way. He stated that this will be an opportunity to showcase the most important event for our country in the sports world, which is EXPO 2027. The minister also inaugurated an exhibition titled “The Path of True Values.”
“When we talk about the history of Olympism in Serbia, we must say that Serbia has actively participated in spreading the idea of Olympism since the very beginning, starting from April 5, 1896, when the first Olympic Games were held in Athens. At those first Olympic Games of the modern era, the Serbian King Aleksandar Obrenović was present, and he was the only head of a foreign state among the guests at the Olympic Stadium in Athens,” said the minister.
He reminded me that even today, in 2024, the state of Serbia shares the true values of the Olympic movement and the International Olympic Committee with the same desire and enthusiasm, actively participating in the development and promotion of Olympism in general.
Today’s exhibition is primarily educational and aims to acquaint the wider public with the history of the Olympic movement in Serbia from the period of the Kingdom of Serbia up to the present day. Serbian athletes debuted at the Olympic Games in 1912, and over a history spanning 112 years, they have achieved significant results and represented our country with dignity at the Summer Olympic Games. As a symbol of this, Serbia will be represented by 112 athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The minister invited all gathered visitors to tour the exhibition “The Path of True Values,” where they will have the opportunity to see exhibits from the Olympic Museum’s collection, ranging from the founding of the Serbian Olympic Club in 1910, initiated by General Svetomir Đukić, to the latest successes of our athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Among the exhibited items, he particularly highlighted the first medal in athletics by Ivan Gubijan from the London 1948 Olympic Games, the silver medal in wrestling by Branislav Martinović from Rome 1960, a letter from Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki from Rio 2016, as well as many other exhibits such as authentic photographs, sports equipment, and various documents.
“Today’s exhibition represents our history, what has happened, but also announces the future, where our Serbian Olympic team will shine in Paris. Our athletes will give 100% of their current capacities to achieve their dreams and will make our nation proud with their successes,” the minister emphasized.
SERBIA HAS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATED IN SPREADING THE IDEA OF OLYMPISM SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING
ZORAN GAJIĆ Ministry of Sport
VIVE LA RÉVOLUTION!
TThe opening ceremony was not held in a stadium but on the river beside buildings representing the history of France
he opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris, the first to be held outside a stadium, will be remembered for its explosion of creativity, rain, and the misunderstanding of pop culture references by Maria Zakharova and Elon Musk, through Christian and right-wing circles around the world, to conspiracy theory-prone segments of the domestic public.
Everything will be alright. We’ll hang aristocrats on street lamps,’ sang the severed head of Queen Marie Antoinette the refrain of the famous French Revolutionary song ‘Ça ira,’ in Édith Piaf’s 1953 version. At that moment, it also started to rain.
I was at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio in 2016, and at the opening ceremonies in Wembley and Maracanã for the last two. What pop music and the queen are to the British, what Gisele Bündchen walking across the stadium to ‘Girl from Ipanema,’ played and sung by the grandson of the song’s famous author, is to the Brazilians—the severed head of Marie Antoinette, cabaret, parodies, disguises, and self-irony regarding their own history and predominant religion is to the French. All of which Maria Zakharova, Elon Musk, and part of our public did not understand.
The next morning, when I appeared on the morning program of one of our national television channels, I had to comment: ‘Well, when Maria Zakharova, Elon Musk, and our conspiracy theory enthusiasts organize the next Olympic Games, they should do it differently. The French did it this way!’
I understand Maria Zakharova’s motives, but the others—it’s as if they haven’t watched a single film, musical, or any of the hundreds of reinterpretations of Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ or seen any musical or film.”
THE PROGRAM, DESIGNED BY THE TEAM OF FRENCH ACTOR AND THEATRE DIRECTOR THOMAS JOLLY, WAS A TRUE EXPLOSION OF CREATIVITY, SOME MIGHT SAY EVEN—A PROVOCATION SUITABLE FOR THE FRENCH
Before it started to rain, we arrived in Paris with a six-hour delay because our plane, already ready for takeoff on the runway at Nikola Tesla Airport, was promptly offloaded after a crack was noticed on a window in the cockpit. We had to wait for a plane of identical capacity from Antalya to land, and instead of departing at 6:40, we flew to Paris at 13:00.
News of sabotage on the railways and announcements of strikes accompanied us throughout the entire journey. From the hotel next to the Parc Villette, where the national houses of some participating countries, including Serbia, are located, we immediately headed to the banks of the Seine. There, at entrance L2 in Zone D, we were greeted with seats from which we would watch the spectacular opening ceremony of the 33rd Summer Olympics. The first one was not held in a stadium but on the river beside buildings representing the history of France and a good part of the political and cultural history of the world.
The contrast with the previous opening ceremony could not have been greater: At the ‘Corona Games’ in Tokyo 2021, only 1,000 guests were allowed, including just 15 heads of state. This time, around 120 heads of state
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and government attended the ceremony. Representing the host country were, of course, President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, former President François Hollande, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Also present were Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, and Spiros Kapralos, President of the European Olympic Committee.
Among the foreign dignitaries in the stands in front of the Eiffel Tower were the prime ministers or presidents of Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Djibouti, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Romania, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Serbia was represented by President Aleksandar Vučić, and the European Union was represented by Charles Michel, President of the European Council; Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; and Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank. Also present were NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and UN Secretary General António Guterres.
From the royal families, the ceremony was attended by: the King of Belgium, the Prince of Bhutan, the King of Denmark, the Prince of Jordan, the Princess of Liechtenstein, the Prince of Monaco, the King of the Netherlands, the Emir of Qatar, the Prince of Saudi Arabia, and the King of Spain.
Other participating countries were represented by lower-ranking officials, such as vice presidents, deputy prime ministers, or relevant ministers. Among them was China, represented by Vice President Hen Zeng, while Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States, attended on behalf of her husband, President Joe Biden, accompanied by Karen Bass, the Mayor of Los Angeles, the next host city for the Olympics.
The program, designed by the team of French actor and theatre director Thomas Jolly, was a true explosion of creativity, some might say even—a provocation suitable for the French. ‘A true revolution in mental, artistic, and technical terms!’ as my colleague Radmila Stanković wrote to me.
The program began with fireworks in French national colours on the Pont d’Austerlitz. From there, the parade of boats on the Seine began, which reached our viewing area in just a few minutes.
On 85 boats and barges, teams from a total of 206 national Olympic committees, as well as a refugee team from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), sailed down the Seine. I immediately noticed that the name of the country was incorrectly displayed for South Korea—North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). What remains a mystery to this day is how the boat with Israeli athletes initially passed by empty—just the sign ‘Israel,’
empty seats, and in front of them, Iceland—only for a few minutes later, on the screen visible to both us at the location and viewers watching the live broadcast, a boat with Israeli athletes waving to the crowd appeared. Unofficially, this scene was filmed seven hours earlier to avoid security risks and potential audience booing.
The ‘Serbian boat,’ with 112 representatives from our country, was impressive, being the largest team from the entire region. Among them were not Nikola Jokić and Novak Đoković, which, as it was already raining heavily at the time, we could not immediately notice but read about later. This was also the largest delegation of Serbian athletes at any Olympic Games since the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The parade of boats was accompanied by numerous dance and musical performances. The first major show was by Lady Gaga, who performed the classic chanson ‘Mon truc en plumes’ in the shadow of Notre Dame Cathedral. This was followed by a showcase of French culture and way of life: from ‘can-can’ to the opera ‘Carmen,’ scenes from the musicals ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ and heavy metal bands; from fashion show on the bridge to displays of famous artworks placed in the Seine near the shore, and performances of breakdancing, the only new sport at the Paris Games.
After the parade of boats concluded, the Olympic flag was carried across the Seine to Trocadéro on a metal horse ridden by a horsewoman. Then, the flag with the Olympic rings was mistakenly raised upside down, which some conspiracy theorists, both globally and locally, interpreted as clear evidence that ‘Satanists had a hand in it.’
Former French football star Zinedine Zidane started the final phase of the torch relay, which went from Trocadéro across the Seine to the Louvre. International and French sports stars passed the torch to each other. Among them were Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal, who was bidding farewell to his last Olympic Games in Paris; former tennis star Serena Williams; sprint legend Carl Lewis from the USA; former Romanian gymnastics world champion Nadia Comăneci; and former French NBA star Tony Parker. Finally, two French three-time Olympic champions ignited the Olympic flame in the Louvre courtyard: former runner MarieJosé Pérec and former judoka Teddy Riner. The flame was lifted into the rainy Parisian night sky by a balloon. The emotional finale was provided by Canadian singer Celine Dion, who suffers from Stiff-Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease. She had not performed live since 2020, but now, under the Eiffel Tower, she sang Édith Piaf’s classic chanson ‘Hymne à l’amour.
THE ‘SERBIAN BOAT,’ WITH 112 REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR COUNTRY, WAS IMPRESSIVE, BEING THE LARGEST TEAM FROM THE ENTIRE REGION
Photo: Oliver Colthart
The biggest stir was caused by the ‘reinterpretation’ of Da Vinci’s painting ‘The Last Supper,’ leading the organizers to issue an apology the day after the opening for anyone who might have been offended by the scene. Artistic director of the ceremony, Thomas Jolly, stated that there was no intention to ‘mock or belittle anyone’ and added that the scene was designed to reference pagan gods. ‘It is clear that there was never any intention to show disrespect to any religious group,’ said Anne Deschamps, spokesperson for the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, to reporters on Sunday, the day after the event. ‘On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly was trying to represent and celebrate community tolerance. We believe he succeeded!’
As expected, the most criticism of the opening ceremony came from those who ‘weren’t invited to the party,’ namely from Russia. Russian state officials and religious leaders harshly criticized the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony, seizing on the rain and striking costumes to draw attention away from the games, in which Russia’s participation is strictly limited, and its national symbols are banned due to the invasion of Ukraine. This latest ban followed previous restrictions on Russian athletes and the exclusion of Russian national symbols and officials due to state-sponsored doping. Both the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church made comments targeting the LGBT community following the lavish opening ceremony on Friday, where over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries and territories paraded along the Seine. ‘Cultural and historical suicide is happening in one of the former Christian capitals of European civilization,’ said Vahktang Kipshidze, spokesperson for the Russian Orthodox Church based in Moscow.
On Saturday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the camp scene from the Paris ceremony, which some linked to Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ calling it ‘a mockery of a sacred story for Christians’ and accusing the ceremony organizers of depicting Christ’s apostles
AS EXPECTED, THE MOST CRITICISM OF THE OPENING CEREMONY CAME FROM THOSE WHO ‘WEREN’T INVITED TO THE PARTY,’ NAMELY FROM RUSSIA
‘as transvestites.’ ‘Clearly, in Paris, they decided that if the Olympic rings are colourful, you can turn everything into one huge gay parade,’ Zakharova said. She described the event as ‘a ridiculous outdoor ceremony that forced guests to sit for hours in the rain’ and suggested that the organizers should have considered ‘cloud seeding’ to try to alter the weather.
Under the onslaught of the Russian disinformation campaign against the Paris Olympic Games, French authorities this week also announced the bizarre detention of a 40-year-old Russian chef, who is claimed to have been involved in a ‘large-scale’ plot to disrupt the Games.
Last year, after banning Russian athletes due to systematic doping, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended Russia because it invaded Ukraine and Moscow’s claims of annexing four Ukrainian regions. Subsequently, the IOC announced that some Russian and Belarusian athletes could apply to participate under strict criteria. Ultimately, the IOC allowed 14 Russian and 11 Belarusian athletes to compete under neutral status in cycling, gymnastics, weightlifting, and wrestling. In 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) concluded that over 1,000 people were involved in a sophisticated and long-term doping scheme between 2011 and 2014, which was supported by the Russian state.
When it comes to our country, Serbian can be heard in every corner of Paris, not just in the Olympic Village and at the sports venues. As I wrote in the article seven days ago, these are the first Olympic Games in the past 20
Photo: Shutterstock
years held in continental Europe for which Serbian citizens do not need a visa. The next Games in 2028 will be in LA, and in 2032 they will be in Brisbane, Australia, so for many, this is a unique opportunity to attend such an event. Serbia also presented itself at two special locations in Paris during the Games. The first is the Serbian Cultural Center, where, before the opening of the Olympics, Serbian Olympic Committee President Božidar Maljković, Sports Minister Zoran Gajić, and Olympic boxer Sara Ćirković opened the exhibition ‘The Path of True Values.’
Among the items on display are particularly notable the first athletics medal of Ivan Gubijan from the 1948 London Olympics, the silver wrestling medal of Branislav Martinović from Rome 1960, and a letter from Novak Đoković and Viktor Troicki from Rio 2016. Many exhibits, authentic photographs, sports equipment, and documents were presented.
The following day, ‘The Serbian House’ was also officially opened in La Villette Park. President Aleksandar Vučić attended the opening and cut the red ribbon. During the Games, La Villette Park will be named ‘Park of Nations’ as it hosts 15 national houses. The host of the Serbian House, Danijel Nikolić, presented the exhibit ‘Roots’ by Dušan Jovović, which showcased significant figures such as Nikola Tesla, Milutin Milanković, Mileva Marić Einstein, and many others. ‘The
THE BIGGEST STIR WAS CAUSED BY THE ‘REINTERPRETATION’ OF DA VINCI’S PAINTING ‘THE LAST SUPPER,’ LEADING THE ORGANIZERS TO ISSUE AN APOLOGY THE DAY AFTER THE OPENING FOR ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN OFFENDED BY THE SCENE
Serbian House’ was conceived as a unique centre offering visitors a rich and interactive experience of Serbian culture, history, sports, and gastronomy. There was a large crowd at the opening, so I immediately positioned myself at the epicentre of this final part – gastronomy. In the atmosphere of a traditional Serbian kafana with checkered tablecloths, I was immediately served rakija and later enjoyed traditional Serbian dishes prepared in a modern way by the most talented young chefs from Serbia’s Junior Chefs Club.
After two rainy days, a sunny Sunday dawned, and I, of course, used to explore Olympic Paris by bike. There were many smiling people all over the city and a visible presence of armed police, but everything felt quite relaxed. For those in the city during the Games, it’s even possible to book visits to the Louvre or Orsay museums a few days in advance. Public transportation and streets are not overly crowded as something similar happened in London in 2012 – namely, a large percentage of Paris residents left the city before the Games began.
At the moment I am sending this text, news arrives of the first gold medal for Serbia at these Olympic Games. Serbian shooters Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec won in the 10-meter air pistol event, defeating the Turkish pair Seval Ilayda Tarhan/Yusuf Dikec with a score of 16:14. Tonight we will celebrate their gold at the Serbian House.
Photo: Antonin Albert / Shutterstock
Izložba Put pravih vrednosti
GOLDEN TANDEM
Mikec and Arunović bring Serbia’s fi rst medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics!
Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunović have brought Serbia its first medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning gold in the mixed team air pistol 10-meter event.
The well-coordinated Serbian shooting duo, Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunović, defeated the Turkish pair Tarhan - Dikec 16:14 in the final of the mixed air pistol 10m event, thus securing Serbia’s first and most prestigious medal at the Paris Olympics.
‘This has been an extremely exhausting Olympic tournament, let alone the three-year cycle that preceded it. Three years is very little time to prepare for an Olympic cycle. We missed an entire year to do things differently due to the situation in 2020 with the COVID-19 virus, which impacted this year and the Olympics. The preparations were incredibly taxing, and I can say on behalf of both of us that we worked very diligently and hard during the preparations for these Olympic Games. I’m glad we ended up this way. As for me specifically, the first thing I need to do now is get some sleep,’ said Zorana Arunović.
‘First, I need to process everything and realize that this happened. It’s a big deal to climb one step higher after Tokyo, and I’m thrilled that I managed to do it. I was a bit mentally down after the final two days ago because, after a good match and being the first to enter the final, I was disappointed that the rules required the finals to be held the next day, which was completely new to me. I didn’t handle it the best, but I didn’t despair. New day, a new discipline. I believe in Zorana, she believes in me, and we’ve won many medals in our careers, and this Olympic medal is the pinnacle of it all. This is the fulfilment of every athlete’s dream. Now I will process everything that happened, enjoy this success, and rest because we have worked hard for three years without an Olympic year. We trained in the new hall in Košutnjak, which brought us luck and gave us a new boost. Now it’s time to rest,’ said Damir Mikec.
‘I don’t know how to describe the feeling. The agreement was to go all the way, wherever that end might be. It was very difficult in these circumstances, knowing that this was the only thing you hadn’t achieved in this three-year cycle. For me, they are champions, and this has been confirmed today. There
THREE YEARS IS VERY LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE FOR AN OLYMPIC CYCLE
was no turning back; that was not an option for us. We are satisfied but not surprised. We sacrificed many mixed-team appearances to prepare for something like this. We knew what the priority was. Their individual quality fits easily into the mixed-team format. We needed a combination of individual qualities to be competitive on the biggest stage. You work every day and know you might not succeed, but you don’t hold back, and that’s what brought us to the end. You have only 14 shots to show who you are and what you can do. Not to yourself, but to others, and we succeeded today. Now we are winners, and now we are on Olympus, and that’s what matters most,’ said coach Jelena Arunović.
Photo: Shutterstock
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
IS THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION!
At his fi fth Olympic Games, Djokovic fi nally achieved the trophy that had eluded him
Novak Djokovic has become the Olympic champion, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. By winning his first Olympic gold medal, and Serbia’s second gold at these Games, Djokovic has completed his trophy collection and confirmed his status as the greatest tennis player of all time.
In the grand final of the Paris Olympics, Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz with scores of 7-6, and 7-6, and thus claimed the most prestigious medal. This is Serbia’s second medal at the Paris Games and its second gold.
At his fifth Olympic Games, Djokovic finally achieved the trophy that had eluded him. Having won a record number of Grand Slam (24) and Masters (40) titles, Djokovic now adds Olympic gold to his collection, following his bronze medal in Beijing 2008.
“I thought carrying the flag of my country at the opening of the London 2012 Olympics was the best feeling any athlete could experience, until today. This surpasses anything I could have imagined or hoped to experience. I have always said that representing my country is the greatest priority and honour for me, whether it is at the Olympics, Davis Cup, or anywhere else where I
‘I HAVE NEVER FELT EMOTIONS ON THE COURT LIKE THOSE DURING THE LAST SHOT OF THE MATCH’ – NOVAK ĐOKOVIĆ
can proudly carry the Serbian flag. That truly drives and motivates me like nothing else. The fact that I won bronze at my first Olympics and then struggled to win a medal, unable to overcome obstacles in the semifinals, makes this moment, now at 37 years old, playing against a 21-yearold who is one of the best players in the world, probably my greatest sports achievement in my career.
Regarding the match, I think it’s fair that both sets ended in tiebreakers; we played for almost three hours at such a high level, with two sets. I can’t even imagine what would have happened in the third set had I lost that second one. Congratulations to Alcaraz for a great tournament and his fighting spirit. He’s a great guy, and I have immense respect for him as a player. He showed great character, continuing to fight despite being behind. I too fought even when I was leading; I didn’t think about whether I was ahead or not. I have never felt emotions on the court like those during the last shot of the match,” said Novak Djokovic.
THE GAMES OF THE XXXIII OLYMPIAD
Mayor in the Seine, surfers in Tahiti...
At the XXXIII Olympiad, breakdancing is featured as an Olympic event for the first time, swimming in the Seine is officially allowed for the first time in 100 years (starting from 2025), sailing takes place in Marseille, surfing is done on the waves of the Pacific Ocean in Tahiti in French Polynesia, and these are also the first Games in the past 40 years without one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council participating, which says a lot about the state of the world 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
A photograph of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wearing a diving suit and swimming goggles, swimming in the Seine nine days before the start of the Summer Olympics, has travelled around the world and will likely be remembered as one of those iconic scenes associated with an event.
Hidalgo dove into the river near City Hall, her office, and Notre-Dame Cathedral, joined by Olympic Games committee president Tony Estanguet and the prefect of Île-de-France, Marc Guillaume.
“This is happiness. We’ve dreamed of this for years, we worked very, very hard. The water is very good, a bit cold, but not too much,” she said, adding that the river is clean enough to host the open water swimming competition during the 2024 Olympics and the opening ceremony! “Parisien” reported her words. The mayor noted that the Olympics had been a driving force and accelerator, but that the French must “adapt their cities to the climate and find a river.
Her move is part of an effort to demonstrate that the cleanliness of the Seine has improved ahead of the Summer Games, which began on July 26 with a lavish outdoor ceremony featuring a parade of athletes on boats on the Seine. Since 2015, organizers have invested substantial funds—$1.5 billion—to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure that Parisians and city visitors enjoy a cleaner river in the years following the games. The major components of this project included the construction of a massive underground water storage reservoir in central Paris, the renovation of sewer infrastructure, and upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities.
Despite constant promises from politicians to clean the river, swimming in the Seine has been prohibited for over a century. Jacques Chirac, former President of France, made a similar promise in 1988 when he was the mayor of Paris, but it was never fulfilled. Chirac, who was campaigning for a third
term at the time, promised that year to clean the river as part of his “Clean Seine” program. The future President of the Republic then anticipated a five-year period to clean the river, not realizing that it would take 36 years to achieve. Hidalgo followed in the footsteps of French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who swam in the river a few days earlier in a diving suit.
The Seine will host several open water swimming events during the games, including marathon swimming at the Olympics and swimming stages of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
As a media partner of the Serbian Olympic Committee, I have been to Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio in 2016. I skipped the Tokyo Games in 2021, which were held a year later than scheduled due to the pandemic, as did most other potential visitors.
The Summer Olympic Games 2024 (Jeux olympiques d’été de 2024), officially known as the “Games of the XXXIII Olympiad” (Jeux de la XXXIIIe Olympiade), will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris and a few other cities in France. After previously hosting the Games in 1900 and 1924,
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Paris, along with London (1908, 1948, and 2012), becomes the second city to host the Summer Olympics three times. The 2024 Games also mark the centennial of the 1924 Olympics. France will host the Games for the sixth time, including both Summer and Winter Olympics. In addition to Paris and its suburbs, certain sports events will be held in other locations across France and its overseas territories. Handball and basketball competitions will take place in Lille, sailing in Marseille, surfing in Tahiti in French Polynesia, and the football tournament will be held across France.
For the 2024 Summer Olympics, six cities were in contention: Paris, Hamburg, Boston, Budapest, Rome, and Los Angeles. On July 27, 2015, Boston decided to withdraw its bid to host the Games. Hamburg withdrew its bid on November 29, 2015, following a referendum, and Rome withdrew on September 21, 2016, citing financial issues. Budapest withdrew on February 22, 2017, after 260,000 people signed a petition against the bid. Following these withdrawals, the IOC Executive Board met in Lausanne on June 9, 2017, to discuss the host city selection for 2024 and 2028. The International Olympic Committee officially proposed that the host cities for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics be selected simultaneously in 2017. This proposal was approved at an extraordinary IOC session in Lausanne on July 11, 2017. At the 131st IOC Session in Lima on September 13, 2017, Paris was chosen as the host for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and Los Angeles was chosen for the 2028 Summer Olympics. In July 2021, Brisbane, Australia, was selected as the host for the 2032 Summer Olympics. This will be the third Olympics on this continent (Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000) and the fourth held in the Southern Hemisphere (Rio de Janeiro 2016).
During the Summer Olympics in Paris, 329 events will be held across 32 sports, including 28 “core” Olympic sports that were featured in 2016 and 2020, and four additional sports proposed by the Paris Organizing Committee. Breakdancing will make its Olympic debut while skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing will return to the Games.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the IOC suspended the National Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus due to violations of the Olympic truce. Russian and Belarusian athletes will instead compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes” (INA) without national identification. As individual athletes, they will not be considered part of a delegation during the opening ceremony or in the medal tally.
Of course, this is not the first time politics has intervened in the modern Olympics. One of my favourite stories is about the “People’s Olympiad,” which was to be held in Barcelona in 1936 and was intended for countries and athletes who wanted to boycott the “Hitler Olympics” in Berlin. This event was the first attempt at a boycott in the history of the modern Olympics.
In 1931, the IOC decided at a meeting in Barcelona that Berlin, the prosperous and liberal capital of the Weimar Republic, would host the 1936 Olympic Games. Berlin won over Barcelona, which was also a candidate, by a majority vote of 43 to 16. Subsequent events led to the rise of Adolf Hitler’s
Nazis in Germany, while Spain became a republic. The new republican government of Spain, supported by the regional Government of Catalonia, decided to organize the “People’s Olympiad.” The idea was to use hotels built for the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona as the Olympic Village. The games were planned to be held from July 19 to 26, 1936, ending six days before the Berlin Olympics.
6,000 athletes from 49 countries signed up for the People’s Olympiad, including from the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and French Algeria. There were also teams from Germany and Italy composed of athletes in exile who opposed the repressive regimes in Berlin and Rome. Although Stalin’s USSR had its version of the Olympics called the “Spartakiad,” organized by Red Sport International, they agreed to participate in Barcelona as well.
However, on the day before the scheduled start of the People’s Olympiad in Barcelona, the Spanish Civil War began, and the event was never held. Many athletes who had arrived in Barcelona stayed in Spain to fight on the side of the Republicans against Franco.
Throughout its history, there have been complete boycotts on six occasions, all of which were Summer Olympic Games. The first boycott occurred at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Due to the Suez Crisis and the Israeli invasion of Egypt, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Spain, Switzerland, and China boycotted the Games. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were boycotted by North Korea, Indonesia, and China.
Rhodesia was denied entry when its invitation to the 1972 Summer Olympics was withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee following protests from other African countries. South Africa was not invited to the 1964 Games, and its invitation to the 1968 Games was withdrawn after numerous other teams threatened to withdraw. Due to apartheid policies, South Africa was not allowed to return to the Olympics until the 1992 Summer Games.
The Montreal 1976 Olympics were boycotted by 28 countries, mainly from Africa because New Zealand was allowed to participate despite its rugby team continuing to play matches with South Africa. The 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics saw a record boycott of 64 countries, from the US and Canada to West Germany and China, due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Four years later, the Soviet leadership retaliated in kind, leading to the boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by 14 communist countries and their allies worldwide, ranging from Cuba and Libya to Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Laos. The only exceptions were Yugoslavia and Ceausescu’s Romania. While there have been instances of political and “diplomatic boycotts” in subsequent Olympics, none have been as widespread as during the Cold War. The absence of Russia from Paris 2024 will mark the first time in 40 years that a major country and permanent member of the UN Security Council is excluded from the Summer Olympics, highlighting the current state of global affairs 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
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Photo: Franck
SERBIAN GOLD FIVE TIMES MORE VALUABLE THAN CROATIAN GOLD
Among the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has the largest team, with 113 Serbian
Athletes from Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, and other countries in the region are competing in 32 different sports. One of the sports that always attracts the most attention at the Olympic Games is basketball, especially the men’s tournament, where the Balkan countries Serbia and Greece will be represented. Serbia is in a group with teams from the USA, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico. Greek basketball players, on their way to their first Olympic appearance in 16 years, have defeated teams from Slovenia and Croatia. The Greek team is in a very tough group with Canada, Australia, and Spain. One of the biggest surprises of the pre-Olympic bas-
SERBIA WILL AWARD 200,000 € FOR EACH GOLD MEDAL WON AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
ketball qualifiers was the elimination of Lithuania, which was one of the hosts of the playoffs.
Among the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has the largest team, with 113 Serbian athletes in various sports securing their place in Paris by meeting the Olympic quota. Before the Games, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić organized a reception for all Serbian Olympians, presenting the state flag to volleyball player Maja Ognjenović and water polo player Dušan Mandić, who will
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carry it during the Olympic opening ceremony. “We hope for a harvest of medals, but even if there are none, we will continue to love you,” Vučić said on that occasion. He reminded that the state will award €200,000 for each gold medal won at the Olympic Games, adding that “a small number of countries in the world have decided to award such large prizes.” According to available data, Serbia is in first place globally with this amount, far ahead of many more developed countries, and exactly five times more than Croatia. “Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, the Government has decided to increase the rewards for top athletes, coaches, and other sports experts who participate in winning medals for Croatia at major sports competitions (...). According to the new regulations, the reward for a gold medal at the Olympic, Paralympic, or Deaflympics will be €41,000 instead of the previous €27,650, the reward for a silver medal will be €26,000 instead of €17,300, and the bronze medal will be awarded €18,500 instead of €12,250,” said Croatian Minister of Tourism and Sports Tonči Glavina, according to Tportal.hr
‘WE HOPE FOR A HARVEST OF MEDALS, BUT EVEN IF THERE ARE NONE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOVE YOU’ – ALEKSANDAR VUČIĆ
Stjepanović, Andrej Barna, Nikola Aćin, Justin Cvetkov (swimming relay), Women’s basketball team, Sara Ćirković (boxing), Aleksandar Komarov (wrestling), Lazar Kovačević (shooting), Georgi Tibilov (wrestling), Martin Mačković, Nikolaj Pimenov (rowing double scull), Nemanja Majdov (judo), Milica Nikolić (judo), Marica Perišić (judo), Aleksandar Kukolj (judo), Milica Žabić (judo), Strahinja Bunčić (judo), Adriana Vilagoš (athletics), Lev Korneev (taekwondo), Stefan Takov (taekwondo), Novak Đoković (tennis), Dušan Lajović (tennis), Izabela Lupulesku (table tennis), Men’s volleyball team, Anja Crevar (swimming), Armin Sinančević (athletics), Elzan Bibić (athletics).
A quick look at these 112 names highlights the ethnic diversity of the Serbian Olympic team, which includes a significant number of athletes from Vojvodina and Sandžak, as well as several foreign nationals who have obtained Serbian citizenship.
SERBIA IS REPRESENTED IN PARIS BY THE FOLLOWING ATHLETES: Serbia is represented in Paris by the following Olympians: Zorana Arunović (shooting), Damir Mikec (shooting), Natalia Šadrina (boxing), Vakid Abasov (boxing), Ivana Španović (athletics), Milica Gardašević (athletics), Andrej Barna (swimming), Milica Novaković, Marija Dostanić, Anastazija Bajuk, Dunja Stanojev (kayak four), Marko Novaković, Marko Dragosavljević, Vladimir Torubarov, Anđelo Džombeta (kayak four), Men’s basketball team, Angelina Topić (athletics), Jovana Arsić (rowing), Stevan Andrija Mićić (wrestling), Ali Arslan (wrestling), Women’s volleyball team, Mate Nemeš (wrestling), Men’s 3×3 basketball team, Jelena Erić (cycling), Ognjen Ilić (cycling), Aleksandra Perišić (taekwondo), Men’s water polo team, Velimir
The Croatian Olympic team consists of over 73 competitors across more than 16 sports. Among the most successful candidates are brothers Martin and Valent Sinković, a coxless pair who won gold in this rowing discipline at the Tokyo 2021 Games. They also secured gold in Rio de Janeiro 2016 in the coxless pair, and silver in London 2012 as part of the coxed four. The team includes Damir Martin, who won silver in Rio and bronze in Tokyo in the single scull. Heading to Paris is Sandra Perković, now Sandra Elkasević, the Olympic gold medalist in discus throw from 2012 and 2016, and Giovanni Cernogoraz, the Olympic champion in trap shooting from London. Handball and water polo teams have also secured their places in France, as well as bronze medalist gymnast Tin Srbić on the pommel horse from Tokyo 2021. Croatia will also have a representative in BMX cycling - Martin Ranteš, and debuting at the Olympics will be 44-year-old table tennis player Ivana Malobabić. The men’s basketball team played in the qualification for the Olympics but did not succeed in securing a spot.
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