Croatian Olympic Committee

Zagreb, April 9, 2018 – Last weekend, the 5th International Day of Sport for Development and Peace - organized by Croatian Olympic Academy, Croatian Olympic Committee and Croatian United Nations Association - was marked in Croatia.

Zagreb, April 4, 2018 – Seven years ago, the Sports Television (SPTV), owned by the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO), started its national broadcasting in terrestrial network.

PyeongChang, February 9, 2018 - At the parade of the participants during the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in the Korean city of PyeongChang, the Croatian flag was carried by our most experienced skier, 32-year-old Natko Zrnčić Dim.

PyeongChang, February 7, 2018 - Croatian residents of the Olympic Village in PyeongChang on Wednesday were happy- they raised the national tricolor flag on a mast. The hosts of the Winter Olympics (February 9 - 25, 2018)welcomed the Croatian delegation and wished successful performance to our Olympians at the Games.

Zagreb, January 27, 2018 - Under the slogan "Museums and Sport", this year's edition of the event Night of Museums began symbolically at the sports hall of the Zagreb Gymnastics Club (ZTD) Hrvatski sokol (Croatian hawk).Even more symbolic was the appearance of the World Gymnastics Champion Tin Srbić in the sports hall where he was "laying foundations" for the greatest success of the Croatian gymnastics. The exhibition on the activity of the association Hrvatski sokol was held at the ZTD, which is actually a branch office of the Croatian Sports Museum, since recently headed by the agile Director Danira Bilić, who has presented – through a very inspirational speech - the richness of the sport's museum legacy. The opening of the Night of Museums was attended, among numerous officials and representatives from sports, culture and other social activities, led by Zvonko Kusić, Head of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU) and the Croatian Olympic Committee representatives - President Zlatko Mateša and Vice-President Morana Paliković Gruden.Many other museums also gave "sports spirit" to this year's event, so the Croatian History Museum put the focus on the boxing match of legendary Mate Parlov and the Argentine Miguel Angelo Cuello that took place some forty years ago. Throughout the night, everybody could watch the said famous match on the video wall, while the museum walls featured newspaper articles from that time ...The Night of Museums has clearly shown the importance of sports in the Croatian society to more than one hundred visitors through around one hundred museums and galleries throughout our Beautiful homeland. (coc/vk)

Lausanne, January 20th, 2018 - Following the invitation of the International Olympic Committee, the fourth meeting between the NOC delegation of the Republic of Korea, led by the President Lee Kee-heung and Minister of Culture, sports and tourism, Do Jong-hwan and NOC delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the so-called North Korea), led by the NOC’s President and Minister of Sport Kim ll Guk, was held at the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne, in the Olympic spirit of respect and friendship.In the company of the host, the IOC’s President Thomas Bach, the first person responsible for the organization of the Winter Olympics Pyeongchang 2018 (POCOG), Lee Heebee, also attended the meeting that resulted in the Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration. This great victory of Olympism implies the participation of the North Korea’s NOC delegation and joint activities with the host of Winter Olympics 2018, the NOC of the Republic of Korea. In the decision on the participation of North Korean NOC’s athletes at the Winter Olympics 2018 - the International Olympic Committee has approved accreditations for 22 athletes, 24 officials and 21 media representatives. The International Olympic Committee has accepted the proposal on participation of two sports delegations at the opening ceremony under the joint name "Korea". The delegation will enter the Olympic Stadium with the Korean unification flag (with the emblem of the island), carried by two athletes, one from each NOO. The International Olympic Committee has also decided to allow two National Olympic Committees to form - for the first time in their Olympic history - a joint representation in a sport. The joint female ice hockey team will be formed by adding 12 players and one North Korean coach to the existing 23-player Olympic team of the host. With regard to fair play, only 22 players will participate in the game, as is the case with all the Olympic teams. The main coach, responsible for selecting of athletes, will be from South Korea. He will include at least three hockey players from North Korea's NOC in every match. The united women's ice hockey team will present itself under the Korean unification flag and perform as Korea (COR) and the hymn will be the song "Arirang". In all other sports, the athletes will compete for their NOCs in their own jerseys.The International Olympic Committee has awarded a dozen additional quotas to the North Korean athletes in figure and speed skating, cross-country and alpine skiing.The athletes and delegation from North Korea will arrive at the Olympic Village no later than February 1st, 2018 and they will, like all the athletes participating at the Olympics, undergo the anti-doping testing. (ioc/coc/vk)

The 65th edition of Olimp magazine brings an abundance of interesting sports reads, with report on the Great Day of Croatian Sport and presentation of achievements/results( in 2017 as one of its central topics. In the Olympic legends section, the guest is the handball Olympian Mirko Bašić, the ideal collocutor in days prior to the handball "fever" and hosting the Euro 2018, while the judoka Helena Vuković, Cadet World Champion (+70 kg), is presented as an Olympic hope.

The International Olympic Committee’s Trophy (IOC Trophy) 2017, dedicated to the trends of strengthening the inclusion of women in sports "Sport Beyond Borders", was presented to the Sports Association of Vukovar-Srijem County.

Winners of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Special Recognition 2017 are TV shows Sport nedjeljom (Sports on Sundays) and Istinom do gola (With Truth to the Goal) for media promotion of sports and Dina Levačić, Split native open water swimmer, for Sports Event of the Year.

Zagreb, December 19, 2017 - The Croatian Olympic Committee's (HOO) Gender Equality in Sport Commission celebrated the 20th anniversary of its successful performance at the Zagreb hotel Panorama, first through work and then with celebration.

Zagreb, December 8, 2017 - Following the agreement signed last year with the Cuban Olympic Committee on cooperation and exchange of experiences and experts in the field of sports, the President of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO) Zlatko Mateša hosted Cuban Ambassador Juan Antonio Fernandez Palacios and his associates.

Zagreb, November 25, 2017 - The closing day of the 46th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) passed by in presentations of this year's and future sports events under the auspices of the EOC. It was a logical continuation of the spectacular Olympic presentations - Pyeongchang 2018, Tokyo 2020, Winter Olympics Beijing in 2022 and 2024 in Paris, the hosting city of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.

Zagreb, November 24, 2017 - Four Olympic Association Presidents - Thomas Bach (International Olympic Committee), Janez Kocijančič (European Olympic Committees), Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah (ANOC - Association of National Olympic Committees) and Zlatko Mateša (Croatian Olympic Committee) opened with welcoming speech the 46th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committee (EOC), which began its two-day session this Friday in Zagreb.

Zagreb, November 22, 2017 - After Dubrovnik in 2004, Croatia is again the host of the European Olympic Committee’s (EOC) Assembly, this time on November 24 and 25, 2017 in the Crystal Hall of the Westin Hotel in Zagreb.

Zagreb, October 30, 2017 - Following the competition for two Croatian representatives in the European selection of young reporters, participants of IOC’s media training during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires in 2018, the four-member board of the Croatian Olympic Committee and the Croatian Association of Sports Journalists (HZSN) has decided that our Our Beautiful Homeland will be represented by Simona Margetić from Koprivnički Bregi and Filip Ožbolt from Rijeka.

Zagreb, October 12, 2017 - The International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity has positively resolved the Croatian Olympic Committee’s candidacies and granted twelve scholarships to Croatian male and female athletes as aid in preparations, qualifications and participation in the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020.

Split, October 6, 2017 - Doping is as old as the sport itself and only the fight against doping is slightly younger, it is a continuous match – said dr. Miran Martinac at the Symposium on doping in top sports, held in Split under the auspices of the Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović.

Zagreb, October 5, 2017 – In the organization of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Gender Equality in Sport Commission and Karlovac County Sports Association, the 8th seminar for coordinators from national sports federations was held at the Freshwater Aquarium Aquatica. A seminar titled "Men and Gender Equality in Sports: Aid or Obstacle?" was attended by around 60 male and female attendees, including 35 female coordinators and ten lecturers.

ZAGREB, September 18, 2017 (Hina/Hoo) - Dina Levačić (21), member of the Open Water Swimming Club Split, became the first Croatian to cross La Manche on Sunday.

Minsk, September 1st, 2017 - On September 1st, 2017, Agreement on Hosting the European Games 2019 (EG) was signed in the headquarters of the Belarusian Olympic Committee in Minsk. After the first Games held in Baku in 2015, Minsk will host the second edition of this continental multi-sports competition.

Budapest, August 28, 2017 (Hina/Coc) – The President of the Croatian Judo Federation and Vice-President of the Croatian Olympic Committee Sanda Čorak received a special award for the Best Development of a National Federation in the world at the Gala event held in Budapest.

LONDON, August 13, 2017 (Hina) – The best Croatian athlete Sandra Perković won the title of World Champion in Discus Throw for the second time in her career by producing an excellent throw of 70.31 m at the World Athletics Championships in London.

London, August 7, 2017 (Hoo) - Croatian record holder in Shot Put, 26-year-old Zadar native Stipe Žunić, won bronze medal at the London World Championships with 21.46 meters, becoming thus the first Croatian athlete to climb to the winning stand at the World Outdoor Athletics Championships.

Zagreb, July 3, 2017 - Following with great care the news in the Croatian sport and the influence of sports notables in its creation, the new, 63rd edition of Olimp was released in June this year. This edition of Olimp brings a comprehensive interview with chief operative of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Secretary General Josip Čop, re-elected to this position - for the fourth time - in May this year and silver Olympian, water polo player Damir Polić.

Zagreb, May 22, 2017 – At a suggestion of the Athletes' Commission, the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO) nominated Ivica Kostelić, four-time winner of Olympic silver in Alpine Skiing, for member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athlete's Commission.

Zagreb, May 17, 2017 (Hina) – This Wednesday, the Central State Office for Sport presented at Zagreb's Jarun - under the motto “BeActive” - the third European Week of Sport that will be held from September 23-30, 2017.

Zagreb, April 26, 2017 - International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Solidarity granted the Croatian Olympic Committee a financial support in the amount of 28,000 USD for the preparation of young athletes for the summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), which will be held from July 23 - 29, 2017 in Győr, Hungary.

Zagreb, March 22, 2017 – The new edition of the “Olimp” magazine was released a couple of days ago. Upon the recommendation of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Council it is entirely dedicated to female athletes, sports officials, coaches, employees, volunteers, promoters of sports values, as written in the editorial by the Secretary General of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Josip Čop ".... to women carefully working, on daily basis, for the benefit of the Croatian sport”. He also highlighted that today only a few countries in the world can boast with a female president and a woman being elected to the position of the first Secretary of the State Office for Sports.

Zagreb, February 20th -  Five young Croatian athletes participated at the 13th Olympic Winter European Youth Festival (EYOF), the event that brings together athletes from 14 to 18 years of age, held in the Turkish city of Erzurum from February 12th to February 17th, 2017.

Zagreb, February 8, 2017 – Croatian Olympic Committee (COC) celebrated today the 25th anniversary of the Winter Olympic Games in Albertville in 1992 and presented its project on preparation and performance of athletes at the Winter Olympics Pyeongchang 2018.

Zagreb, January 16, 2017 - Croatian Olympic Committee’s (COC) Commission for International Relations held on January 16, in the Croatian Olympic Committee’s headquarters in Zagreb its inaugural session for the term 2016 to 2020.

Zagreb, January 16, 2017 – In memory of January 15, a great day in the Croatian history, when we - after almost nine centuries - became an internationally recognized state, we should recall the Croatian athletes-ambassadors who were lobbying around the world for the recognition of Croatia.

2016 was very successful for the Croatian sports. This is best illustrated by the fact that not even a gold Olympic medal was enough for the award at the traditional ceremony of the Croatian Olympic Committee - Great Day of Croatian Sports - event held at the end of each year, on the occasion of awarding the most successful athletes Rio 2016 has beaten all the previous records: the Croatian athletes have won a record ten medals - five gold, three silver and two bronze medals, while on the medal rankings Croatia has taken the sensationally high 17th place out of 207 countries, while in terms of number of gold medals won compared to its population, Croatia is third in the world!

After full 25 years (since the independence of the Republic of Croatia), Croatian sports is not “assigned” to one of the relevant ministries of the Croatian Government anymore. According to the Law on Organization and Scope of Ministries and other Central State Administration Bodies, in November this year it has received, for the first time, its own office – the Central Office for Sports.

With one voice against, the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Assembly elected, at its Electoral Session held on October 6, 2016, Zlatko Mateša for President of the Croatian Olympic Committee in the mandate period 2016-2020. This is his fifth mandate as Head of the umbrella sports institution, and his candidacy was supported by 33 national sports federations of Olympic and 30 of Non-Olympic sports as well as 20 county sports associations.

The 150th anniversary of birth of Franjo Bučar, the founder and the strongest promoter of Olympism in Croatia, has been celebrated with an exhibition held on November 25 at the Croatian Sports Museum in Zagreb.

Doha, November 17, 2016 - Two-day long 21st session of the ANOC’s (Association of National Olympic Committees) General Assembly, held in Doha, capital of Qatar, ended on November 16, 2016. Among 1,200 participants, there were also the President and the Secretary General of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO), Zlatko Mateša and Josip Čop, and winner of Olympic medals, the taekwondoist Lucija Zaninović.

Lausanne, November 11, 2016 (IOC) - The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved at its meeting held on November 10, 2016 in Lausanne, the Olympic Solidarity quadrennial plan for the period 2017-2020.

Algeria, November 8, 2016 - The President of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) Amar Addadi informed all the National Olympic Committees - members of the ICMG that the Mediterranean Games, which were to be held in July 2017 in Tarragona in Spain, are postponed until June 2018.

Lausanne, November 4, 2016 - The President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, appointed Zlatko Mateša, President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, ANOC representative in the Foundation Board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Zagreb, October 13th, 2016 – Croatian Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission held on October 13th, 2016 its first session in the new composition consisting of: Snježana Pejčić (Shooting), Barbara Matić (Judo), Lucija Zaninović (Taekwondo), Šime Fantela (Sailing), Damir Martin (Rowing), Mario Todorović (Swimming), Natko Zrnčić Dim (Skiing), Vedrana Malec (Cross Country), Marin Ćubela (Bocce) and Ana Znaor (Kickboxing). Olympic silver medalist and Croatian Olympic Committee’s Vice-President Damir Martin was elected the President of the Athletes’ Commission. Besides him, Snježana Pejčić and Šime Fantela were elected the members of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Assembly.

Zagreb, October 6th, 2016 - At the electoral session of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s Assembly held on October 6th, 2016, Zlatko Mateša was re-elected to the position of the Croatian Olympic Committee’s President in the mandate period 2016-2020. He was elected with 121 of 123 votes. This will be his fifth term to head the umbrella sports organizations in the Republic of Croatia. He was first elected at the extraordinary Croatian Olympic Committee’s Electoral Assembly in 2002 with 74 votes, followed by 2004 with 61 votes, while in the last two terms he was elected unanimously.

Zagreb, September 10, 2016 - At the occasional ceremony held on September 10, 2016 at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) in Zagreb, the Croatian Olympic Committee celebrated 25th anniversary of its establishment and the success of the Croatian athletes. The ceremony was attended by top Croatian athletes, leadership of the Croatian and international Olympic Movement, President of the Croatian Olympic Committee Zlatko Mateša and President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach as a special guest and other dignitaries from the public and sports life attended the ceremony.

Zagreb, September 10, 2016 - During the morning hours, the President of Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović received in her Pantovčak Office the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach and the Olympic delegation.

  RIO DE JANEIRO, July 21, 2016 (Hina – Croatian News Agency) – This Saturday, after the final match against Serbia, the Croatian Olympic Water Polo Team Rio 2016 settled with a silver medal.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 16, 2016 (Hina) - Croatian sailor Tonči Stipanović failed to defend the first place in the race for medals at the Olympics in Rio, and in the end he has won a silver medal in Men’s Laser.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 14, 2016 (Hina) - On the eighth day of competing at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the rower Damir Martin won a silver medal in Men’s Single Sculls, after he missed the gold in a photo-finish for only seven hundredths of a second, while Tonči Stipanović secured at least a silver medal and the first Croatian medal in Sailing in Men’s Laser, with good prospects keep the first place in the race for medals.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 13, 2016 (Hina) - Seventh day of competing at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro was marked by the victory of the Croatian Olympic Water Polo Team Rio 2016 over Italy, Damir Martin’s advancement into the Men’s Single Sculls finals, excellent performances of the sailors Tonči Stipanović in Men’s Laser, Šime Fantela and Igore Marenić in Men’s 470 and Tonci Stipanovic in the Laser, Sime Fantela and Igor Marenić in the 470 class, and Croatian Olympic debuts in Diving – performed by Marcela Marić and Weightlifting – performed by Amar Musić.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 11, 2016 (Hina) - Now nobody can tell us that we do not have Olympic gold, which we were hardly waiting for four years after the silver medal in London, said Valent Sinković.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 10, 2016 (Hina) - On the fourth day of competing at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Croatian Olympic Rowing Team Rio 2016 continued their path to the medal, the handball players achieved a victory, while the basketball players were defeated by Argentina and the sailors remained in the top rankings.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 8, 2016 (Hina) – On the second day of competing at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Croatian basketball players won against the current European Champions of Spain with 72-70, the handball players lost to the World Vice-Champions of Qatar with 23-30, the swimmer Matea Samardžić performed in the semi-finals in Women's 100 m Backstroke, while the Olympic Champion in Trap Giovanni Cernogoraz had a terrible day, not being able to defend his Olympic Champion title, ending up in the 18th place after three of five shooting series.

RIO DE JANEIRO, August 7, 2016 (Hina) - On the first day of competing at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro the best Croatian shooter Snježana Pejčić has won the seventh place in the Air Rifle finals, the water polo players continued defending gold from London by winning 7-5 against the USA team, while the cyclist Kristijan Đurasek took the excellent 18th place in the road race.

Rio de Janeiro, August 6, 2016 (Hina) - The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio was held on Friday, August 5 at the Maracanã Stadium and it lasted nearly four hours. The peak of the Ceremony – Olympic Cauldron being lit by former Brazilian marathon runner, 47-year-old Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, winner of Olympic bronze medal in Athens in 2004 – was followed by lavish fireworks.

Zagreb, July 19, 2016 - President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović received in her Office in Pantovčak the representatives of the Croatian Olympic delegation that will soon travel to Rio de Janeiro, where the Games of the XXXI. Olympiad shall take place from August 5th to August 21st, 2016. At the reception, the evident athletes, 19 of them - athletes, swimmers, wrestlers, water polo and basketball players and rowers, along with six coaches, represented the entire delegation consisting of 168 members, of which 86 athletes.

Zagreb, July 13, 2016 - There are still 23 days until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where - from August 6th until August 21st - Croatia will be represented by 88 athletes in 18 sports. There will be nine winners of Olympic medals in individual sports - Sandra Perković, Giovanni Cernogoraz, Filip Ude, Blanka Vlašić, Damir Martin, Valent and Martin Sinković, Snježana Pejčić and Lucija Zaninović, Croatian Olympic Water Polo Team Rio will defend the gold medal won at the London Olympics in 2012, followed by the Croatian Olympic Handball Team which, after bronze in London, is again on the hunt for a medal.

Zagreb, June 27, 2016 - At its meeting, held on June 27, the Council of the Croatian Olympic Committee (COC) has unanimously decided that the Croatian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio will be a water polo player Josip Pavić, golden Olympian at the Olympic Games in London, to whom this will be the third performance at the Olympic Games. It will be also the third time that, after Perica Bukić and Dubravko Šimenc, the honor to carry the Croatian flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games has been awarded to a water polo player.

Croatian Olympic Committee (COC) and Jamnica dd, long-time partner of the Croatian Olympians, member of the Agrokor Group, marked with the occasional ceremony, held at the Konzum Academy (www.agrokor.hr/hr/karijere/agrokor-akademije ) on June 16, 2016 in Zagreb, the start of the joint campaign on launching of special edition of Jana bottle - Water with message from the Croatian Olympians.

President of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO) Zlatko Mateša and President of the Governing Council of the Hospital Sv. Katarina and former minister of education and sports Dragan Primorac signed the sponsorship agreement on co-operation on June 14, 2016 in Zabok. By signing the contract, the hospital for orthopedics, surgery, internal medicine, neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation headquartered in Zabok became the health partner of the Croatian Olympic Committee and Croatian Olympians.

ZAGREB, June 6, 2016 (Hina) - The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, on Monday cancelled his visit to Croatia due to his trip to the United States where he will attend the funeral of the boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

Zurich, May 30, 2016 (Hina / Reuters) - As already announced, the former captain of the Croatian national team Zvonimir Boban (47) was appointed FIFA’s Deputy Secretary General, in charge for the development of football and organization of competitions.Reuters news agency says that Boban will have a very important role in the new division of tasks (“two-pillar”) in FIFA, led by Gianni Infantino since February this year.

Zagreb, May 23, 2016 (Hina) - The central national celebration of the International Olympic Day was held in Zagreb on Monday at the SRC (Sports Recreational Center) "Mladost" in memory of June 23, 1894, when the idea on reviving the Olympic Games was born at the Paris Sorbonne.

London, May 13, 2016 (IOC) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) presented its initiative in the fight against corruption at the International Anti-Corruption Summit held on Thursday, May 12th 2016 in London, organized by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The Summit, organized with the goal to encourage finding answers to fight corruption in all the sectors of the society, brought together world leaders and representatives of the business world and civil society.