Gol.hr reports that there are only three months left until the start of the Olympic Games in Japan. From July 23 to August 8, Tokyo will be the world’s sports center and host today’s best athletes in various sports.
Croatia participated in its first Games back in 1992 and participated in seven Olympic competitions, winning 33 medals total – 11 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and 12 bronze.
According to the number of qualified athletes, it is clear that Croatian sport is in crisis. To date, a total of only 40 Croatian athletes have qualified for Tokyo. 10-15 more are expected from individual sports (boxing, wrestling, karate, judo, tennis, cycling). The basketball team, which plays its qualifiers in June, faces a challenging task because they may play without their biggest stars – Bogdanović, Šarić, and Zubac.
In the best-case scenario, Croatia can see 65 athletes in Japan, which is the lowest number in the last 30 years. Croatia only had less in Barcelona in 1992 (41 athletes in 12 sports). Given the war period, this figure is not surprising.
Croatia at the Olympic Games
Barcelona 1992 – 41 athletes – 12 sports (three medals)
Atlanta 1996 – 85 athletes – 14 sports (two medals)
Sydney 2000 – 91 athletes – 12 sports (two medals)
Athens 2004 – 81 athletes – 14 sports (five medals)
Beijing 2008 – 101 athletes – 15 sports (five medals)
London 2012 – 107 athletes – 18 sports (six medals)
Rio de Janeiro 2016 – 88 athletes – 18 sports (ten medals)
Tokyo 2021 – In the best case scenario, 65 athletes, and how many medals?
Croatian athletes will not be expected to break the record from Rio and the ten medals won that summer.
Favorites for medals?
The shortlist of favorites for medals at this year’s Games includes Sandra Perković, Sinković brothers, Tin Srbić, Croatia water polo, Tonči Stipanović, Šime, and Mihovil Fantela, Josip Glasnović, Damir Martin, and Mektić-Pavić (tennis players are not yet on the list of qualified athletes).
Croatian athletes qualified for Tokyo:
ATHLETICS (Sandra Perković, Sara Kolak, Filip Mihaljević, Bojana Bjeljac, Matea Parlov Koštro)
GYMNASTICS (Tin Srbić, Ana Đerek)
WRESTLING (Božo Starčević)
SAILING (Tonči Stipanović, Šime and Mihovil Fantela, Elena Vorobeva)
KAYAK / CANOE (Matija Marinić)
SWIMMING (Franko Grgić, Marin Mogić)
TABLE TENNIS (Tomislav Pucar, Andrej Gacina, Frane Tomislav Kojic)
SHOOTING (Josip Glasnović, Snježana Pejčić, Petar Gorša, Miran Maričić)
TAEKWONDO (Kristina Tomic, Matea Jelic, Toni Kanaet)
WATER POLO – 12 athletes
ROWING (Damir Martin, Valent, and Martin Sinković)
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