Emotional Welcome for Bronze Medalist Vlaho Nenadić in Dubrovnik
The young swimmer from PK Jug returned from Paris with a historic medal, greeted by numerous club members, family, and friends.
The young swimmer from PK Jug returned from Paris with a historic medal, greeted by numerous club members, family, and friends.
Vlaho Nenadić, a twenty-year-old swimmer from the Plivački klub Jug (Swimming Club Jug), was welcomed on Tuesday at Dubrovnik's Ruđer Bošković Airport after bringing home a bronze medal from the European Championships in Paris. The welcome was organized by members of his home club, and among those gathered were family, friends, fans, and younger swimmers from PK Jug.
Nenadić won the bronze as part of the Croatian 4×100-meter freestyle relay team, alongside Jere Hribar, Vili Sivec, and Toni Dragoja. The quartet broke the national record twice in a single day, first in the heats with a time of 3:13.06, and then in the final with 3:11.08, which earned them third place and the European bronze.
With this medal, Nenadić became the first male swimmer from Jug to win a senior medal at a major competition. After landing, he was greeted with applause, hugs, and numerous congratulations. According to reports from Dubrovniknet, it was an emotional reunion and another moment of pride for Dubrovnik sports.
"I didn't expect so many people to come. Thank you all; it's a wonderful feeling to achieve something like this," Nenadić said upon arrival.
The young swimmer noted that the races in Paris were phenomenal and full of emotion. "The whole relay, everyone swam with heart," he said. He particularly emphasized that this bronze is not an isolated success but a sign of the arrival of a new generation of Croatian swimmers.
"This is definitely a new step forward for Croatian swimming. After 18 years since the last medal, this is truly a big step. Yes, it's a relay, but now we have four top swimmers, and alongside them, several others who didn't make the team this time but also have the opportunity. Croatian swimming truly has a bright future ahead. I'm sure there will be more medals in the future," Nenadić said.
This medal is the crowning achievement of a season in which Nenadić also made a significant individual breakthrough. In March, he swam the 100-meter freestyle in 48.23 seconds, setting a junior-senior Croatian record, and a few months later came the European medal.
There will be some rest, but the focus is already shifting to new challenges. "We'll see what happens in December in China, but the bigger goal is next summer, the World Championships in Budapest and qualifying for the Olympic Games. With the relay, we should be among the top 12, which I believe is achievable. Additionally, the goal is to achieve the best possible result and swim the Olympic qualifying time, starting as early as March or April. That's next," Nenadić told Dulist.
Photos from the welcome were taken by Ivana Mitrović, and Dubrovniknet announced that a video report with Vlaho Nenadić's statement will be published soon.
