Zagreb Becomes Europe's Gymnastics Capital
Prime Minister Plenković Meets with Croatian Gymnastics Federation Leadership and Receives Croatian Athletics Medalists from the European Championships in Birmingham.
Prime Minister Plenković Meets with Croatian Gymnastics Federation Leadership and Receives Croatian Athletics Medalists from the European Championships in Birmingham.
Croatia will host as many as four European championships in artistic gymnastics, all of which will take place in Zagreb. The competitions include men's and women's senior and junior categories, making the Croatian capital one of the most important European sports hubs in this discipline.
On the occasion of this event, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met on August 19 at Banski Dvori with a delegation from the Croatian Gymnastics Federation. The delegation was led by Marijo Možnik, who serves as the Federation's president and CEO of the Championship Organizing Committee.
After the meeting, Plenković expressed pride in hosting the event. "We are proud that Croatia is hosting 4 European championships, in men's and women's senior and junior artistic gymnastics," he wrote on platform X. According to him, organizing such a major event confirms the country's ability to host the largest international sports competitions and opens an opportunity for further promotion of Zagreb and Croatia.
Top European national team members, coaching staff, and fans from numerous countries are expected to attend, with special attention on the home representatives, who are expected to deliver notable performances in front of the home crowd.
Over the past decades, Croatian gymnasts have achieved results that place them among the most successful domestic athletes. In total, they have won two Olympic silver medals, five World Championship medals, and ten medals at senior European competitions. At World Cup events, they have collected a total of 187 medals.
"Our athletes have won two Olympic silvers, five World and ten senior European medals, and a total of 187 medals at World Cups," the Prime Minister stated. Thanks to the European Championship, a new generation will have the opportunity to perform on a big stage, while younger athletes will be able to learn and develop alongside the best gymnasts in Europe.
Plenković congratulated the Federation on the demanding organizational work. "I congratulate the Croatian Gymnastics Federation on the organization and wish the national team members much success!" he said.
On the same day, the Prime Minister also received top Croatian athletes Sara Kolak and Marino Bloudek on the occasion of winning gold and silver medals at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. "Sara, ten years after her Olympic gold in Rio, became European champion in javelin throw, while Marino, with his silver in the 800-meter race, achieved a result that will be etched in Croatian athletics history," said Plenković.
"Athletics is the queen of sports, and this extraordinary success is a continuation of the great tradition of Croatian athletics," he added, congratulating the athletes, their coaches, and the Croatian Athletics Federation.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the Government continues to strongly support Croatian sports and the organization of major international competitions. "As the Government of the Republic of Croatia, we have increased investments in sports sevenfold, and investments in athletics have been increased by 140%," he pointed out. Across Croatia, more than 20 athletics tracks have been renovated and built, creating better conditions for the development of sports and new generations of top athletes.
