Croatian Olympic Committee

Lausanne, January 15, 2020 - Croatian hockey player in the version 3x3, Luka Banek (born in 2005 in Zagreb), won a bronze medal at the third Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne and St. Moritz (January 9-22). In the battle for 3rd place, the nationally mixed Brown team, in which Banek was playing, defeated the Black team 6-5. This is the first medal won by a Croatian male or female athlete at the Winter Youth Olympics, and the "brown" hockey team consisted of players from 12 other states or national Olympic committees (Men's Mixed NOC Team 3-on-3).

Lausanne, January 9, 2020 – The third Winter Youth Olympic Games that take place from January 9 to 22, 2020 in Lausanne and St. Moritz, were officially opened with the ceremony held at the Vaudoise Arena in Lausanne, Switzerland, before 8,000 spectators. A total of 1880 female athletes from 79 countries, aged 15-18, participated in 16 sports. During the ceremonial march to Lausanne, the Croatian flag-bearer was biathlete and cross-country skier Nika Jagečić.

Zagreb, December 7, 2019 - At the last World Taekwondo Grand Prix in 2019 in Moscow, the member of the Croatian national team Matea Jelić won a silver medal in the category -67 kg, which also that she reached the Olympic standard for Tokyo 2020. After three consecutive victories (Kazakhstan's Tursunkulova 10-8, Britain's Williams 34-32 and France's Wiet Henin 8-7), a 21-year-old Knin native and member of Split's TK Marjan, was narrowly defeated (7-8) in the final duel by Ruth Gbagbi of Ivory Coast.

Zagreb, 30. studenoga 2019. - Nakon stručnog osposobljavanja u projektu Hrvatske olimpijske akademije (HOA) I Hrvatskog planinarskog saveza (HPS), druga generacija trenera sportskog penjanja primila je zaslužene diplome i prigodne darove na svečanosti u zagrebačkom hotelu Sheraton. Prvom naraštaju od 23 polaznika pridružilo se tako 25 novoosposobljenih trenera. Među njima je 11 žena, a taj podatak je u skladu s težnjama Međunarodnog olimpijskog odbora (MOO) za uspostavom potpune spolne ravnopravnosti u pogledu zastupljenosti muškaraca i žena u olimpijskim programima.

Zagreb, November 23, 2019 -World and European champions in Coxless Pairs, Martin and Valent Sinković, were declared the best male rowing crew of 2019 in the selection of the International Rowing Federation (FISA). They were presented the recognition at the FISA Gala in London. The Croatian rowers received the same recognition – as Double Sculls -  in 2016 after winning the gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. We recall, their coach Nikola Bralić was also a laureate of the FISA's election - in 2015 he was voted the World's Best Rowing Coach.

Zagreb, November 16, 2019 - By defeating Slovakia 3-1 in front of 8000 spectators in  Rujevica, the Croatian National Football Team achieved the right to participate at the European Championships 2020. The current World Vice Champions are the winners of the qualification group E with 17 points from 8 matches, thanks to the fifth consecutive performance at the football Euro (total sixth), with only one missed European Championships - in Belgium and the Netherlands 2000. Since the Croatian independence, our football players have won as many as 10 performances at large continental or world competitions, and Euro 2020 will be their 11th performance of possible 13.

Zagreb, October 14, 2019 -At the end of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Stuttgart, it was officially confirmed that Croatian representative Ana Đerek secured her appearance at the Tokyo Olympics. This is the information that we learned much earlier, after the qualifying competitions, but waited for definitive confirmation after the completion of final competitions at the World Championships. In competition with the All-Around contestants, where her performance brought her  the placement at the Olympic Games  Đerek  earned a total score of 49,466 - enough for 67th place and for the Olympic standard as well.

Zagreb, October 10, 2019 -At the premiere edition of the World Beach Games, which will be held from 12 to 16 October in Doha (Qatar), Croatia will be represented by 13 male and one female athlete in four sports. Luka Grgorinić will perform in Aquathlon, Tomislav Stolar in Karate (Kata), Martin Dolenc in Sailing- Kitefoil, and in the team competition Croatian colors will be defended by beach handball team: Mateo Budić, Filip  Goričanec, Domagoj Grahovac, Filip Dominik  Hančić, Ivan Jurić, Tomislav  Lauš, Josip Leko, Josip  Matezović, Ivan Palac and Matej Sošić. Very important is the handball team as winner of bronze medal at the August Mediterranean Beach Games in the Greek city of Patras. Our only female athlete in Doha is Marija Dolenc in Sailing- Kitefoil.

Zagreb, November 6, 2019 -The International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity has positively resolved the Croatian Olympic Committee’s (COC) candidacy for the Winter Olympians Scholarships. A total of ten potential male and female Olympians from 6 sports will participate in the Olympic Scholarships Program for athletes of the Beijing 2022 Olympics. These are: Filip Zubčić, Istok Rodeš, Elias Kolega and Matej Vidović (Alpine Skiing), Dražen Silić and Antonio Zelić (Bobsleigh), Laudelino Antonio Souza-Kordeira (Figure Skating), Lea Jugovac (Snowboard) and "Nordics" Krešimir Crnković (Biathlon) and Vedrana Malec (Cross-Country Skiing).

Zagreb, November 1, 2019 - According to information from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the Croatian basketball will have the opportunity to perform at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 3x3 version. Due to the player's ranking , Croatia is among 20 teams that will fight in March 2020 India for one of three places that will ensure performance at Tokyo Olympics from 25 to 29 July next year. According to the casted lots of qualifying groups, the Croatian 3x3 basketball team is in the  tournament group D with Netherlands, Latvia, Canada and India.

Zagreb, October 18, 2019 -At the premises of the Croatian Ministry of Defense (CMD) which, in cooperation with the Croatian Olympic Committee (COC), implements the Top Athletes Support Program, ensuring them the status of contractual reservists of Croatian Army (CA), gathered 28 of total 41 beneficiaries of the Program, among them a dozen Olympians for Tokyo 2020. Vice-President of the Croatian Government and Minister of Defense Damir Krstičević, Chief of General Staff Mirko Šundov and Croatian Olympic Committee’s Vice President  Sanda Čorak thanked them on great results in 2019 whereby they promoted both the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Army.

Zagreb, October 14, 2019 - At the Congress of the World Darts Federation (WDF) in the Romanian city of Cluj, the previous associate member - Croatian Darts Federation – joined the WDF as full member. The Federation’s General Assembly was held on Monday (July 14), and one of the agenda topics was the admission of new members. During the last year, Croatian Darts Federation was actively lobbying and fulfilling all the prerequisites to open the doors of this prestigious darts association. The Croatian Darts Federation received the official document on joining the WDF as associated member on January 30, 2019.

Vilnius, September 5. 2019 - The Mykolas Romeris University is hosting the 3rd of 7 national conferences entitled “Investments in Sport” organised within the project under the same title (Investments in Sport, abbr. iSport), which was co-funded by the Erasmus+: Sport Programme of the European Union. The 3rd conference on investments in sport will be held at the premises of the Mykolas Romeris University in Vilnius, Lithuania on 16 September 2019.