Did you know that Usain Bolt smashed the 100 metres meet record in Zagreb with a run of 9.85 seconds a decade ago?
The longer I live in Croatia, the less I seem to know, and that applies to Zagreb in particular. The more time I spend there, the more layers it reveals to me.
The summer of sport is upon us, with Euro 2020 behind us and Tokyo 2020 about to begin. It got me thinking about Zagreb as a sporting destination, and a little research showed me just what a diverse sporting calendar the city boasts, with world-class events in a number of disciplines all year round.
Bolt’s lightning run in 2011 at the IAAF World Challenge Boris Hanzekovic Memorial was one of the more memorable athletic achievements at Croatia’s oldest sporting event, which turns 70 this year. Named after one of Croatia’s top sportsmen, Boris Hanzekovic’s signature event, the 110m hurdles is commemorated each year, as a wealth of Olympic medal winners, world champions, and other top sporting personalities compete each year in the Croatian capital.
Looking for symbols of Olympic excellence? Look no further than the Sinkovic brothers, Martin and Valent, Zagreb natives, the siblings took the 2016 Olympic gold in Rio in the Men’s Double Skulls, to add to a 2012 silver in London and a number of World Championship medals. Zagreb’s rowing tradition pre-dates the Sinkovic brothers by more than a century with the founding of the First Rowing and Fishing Society back in 1872. These days, the rowing focus on the city is on Lake Jarun, which is home to a 2 km rowing trail considered to be among the best in the world. The Croatian Open Regatta in early July opens the season of regattas on Jarun, and international events that have been held there include the Military World Games, the World Student Championships, the World Junior Championships, and in 2021 Zagreb has, for the first time in history, hosted the World Rowing Cup.
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