Veljko Rogosic was named International Long Distance Swimming Federation World Champion four times between 1971 and 1974. He was the first one to have swam the distance of 200 km without interruption. From the town of Grado near Trieste in Italy to Riccone near Ancona he set the world record of 225 km in long distance swimming (during this swim he lost 16 kg).

In 1992 this outstanding sportsman entered the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Florida, USA. He was participant of the Homeland War during Greater-Serbian aggression on Croatia and one of the founders of Croatian Marine Corps. Recipient of the Medal of Homeland War from president Franjo Tudjman. His motto and message to young people is

WITH SPORT AGAINST DRUGS

• Rogosic swam La Manche (45 km) in 2004 at the age of 63! For this he needed 11 hours and 27 minutes. His name was written in the ‘Gold book of La Manche’ as the first Croatian and the oldest man to do so.
• In the summer 2005 he swam almost 1,000 km along Croatian coast (from Savudrija to Rt Ostro in Konavle) in less than two months, at the age of 64! Also, this is the ultra-marathon swimming world record (880 km in 222 hours, in 57 etapes in less than 58 days).
• In 2008 Rogosic swam 171 km marathon from Sicilia to Africa, and reached Africa’s Cape Bon in Tunisia. He started the first marathon from Europe to Africa on his 67th birthday!

Djurdjica Bjedov won the Olympic gold medal in 100 m brestroke swimming during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, breaking the then Olympic record. She was the first Croatian sportswoman to win an Olympic medal. At the same olympiade Djurdjica also won silver medal in 200 m breaststroke.

Helen Crlenkovich (1921-1955) was one of the most successful athletes in America and the world on the three-meter springboard and the ten-meter platform. She was an American-born Croatian lovingly known as “Klinky.” Her best sports years began in the late 1930’s. She not only became the best American, but also the world springboard and platform diving champion. She was the first female to do a full-twisting 1 1/2 somersault and several other dives that were heretofore only achieved by men. Helen was chosen to represent America in the 1940 Olympic Games. All concerned felt that Helen would achieve two gold medals as a minimum. However, because of the onset of the Second World War, the games were cancelled. She was also honored by being inducted into the Helms Foundation Diving Hall of Fame in California. In September 2008, Helen received post-mortem recognition by the World Acrobatic Congress held in Las Vegas for her life achievements in swimming and diving. She died very young out of cancer. Her both parents are from Croatia: mother Anka Tomin is from Petrijevci, and father Adam from Banicevac. (Text by dr. Ante Chuvalo, Chicago).

An interesting note as regards Helen is the fact that her trainer, Phil Patterson, insistently urged this young Croatian-American woman to change her name to something that is “more suitable.” He told Helen that with a name like Crlenkovich, she will not achieve any hoped-for success. Nonetheless, Helen, just as insistently, rejected his suggestion because she was proud of her Croatian name and heritage. This fact speaks volumes as to the strength of her character.

In 1998, in the finals of the European Championship held in Sheffield, England, Milos Milosevic set the new world record in the 50 meter butterfly (23:30), thus beating the world record of the Russian swimmer Denis Pankratov, that many held unbeatable.

Milos Milosevic, world record on 50m butterfly in 1998

Milos is a native of Split, now living and training in Rijeka.

European champion in 2000 in backstroke swimming with 1:58.62 on 200m is Gordan Kozulj.

Mirna Jukic, Croatian swimmer in Austria (born in in the town of Vukovar, destroyed during the Greater Serbian aggression on Croatia), was elected the 2002 Sportswoman in Austria for her results in breaststroke swimming.

Duje Draganja won the Olympic silver medal in men’s 50m freestyle final, Athens, 2004.

Duje Draganja breaking the world record in 2008 in Manchester. Source: CROWN.

 

In 2008 Duje Draganja broke the men’s 50 metres freestyle world record at the finals of the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Manchester, UK. This was one of the greatest successes in the history of Croatian sport.

Sanja Jovanovic from the city of Dubrovnik, broke the world record in 50 meters backstroke on European Short Course Swimming Championships in Hungary, 2007. This was one of the greatest achievements in the history of Croatian sport.

 

Sanja Jovanovic, world champion in 50 m backstroke, 2007, AP Image

Sanja Jovanovic with gold medal, breaking her own world record, and China’s Gao Chang, silver, during the medal ceremony for the final of the Women’s 50m backstroke at the World Short Course Swimming Championships at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Thomas)

 

Sanja Jovanovic broke her own world record on 50m backstroke swimming at the 2008 World Swimming Championships Manchester, UK. Her new world record time is 26.37.

She again won her new gold medal at the European Swimming Championship held in Istanbul, capital of Turkey, 2009. And not only this, she broke the world record on 50 m backstroke, and her new world record is 25.70. This was her fourth world record in swimming at international competitions.

Tina Mihelić won the title of the 2013 world champion in sailing in the category of Radial Laser. This is for the first time in history that a Croatian sportswoman won such a title. The competition took place in China.