The most successful Croatian athletes at the Summer Olympic Games won their third consecutive Olympic gold in Paris
‘We’ll always have Paris’, is a line spoken by the incomparable Humphrey Bogart to the beautiful Ingrid Bergman in the classic film ‘Casablanca’ in 1942. The Sinković brothers, Martin and Valent, could have echoed this sentiment after their shocking final in the coxless pair at the 2024 Olympics, where they defended their title as Olympic champions.
They reached their third consecutive Olympic gold in a spectacular manner. With about 500 meters to go, they were not even in the medal contention, but then the Sinkovićs accelerated. They first overtook the Swiss crew, then the Romanians, and in the last 100 meters, they caught and surpassed the British team, clinching their third consecutive Olympic gold by a narrow but significant 0.45 seconds.
‘We always knew we would win; we just wanted to give people a little excitement since they said we were becoming boring’, Martin Sinković joked in an interview with HRT right after winning gold in Paris.
The most successful Croatian athletes at the Summer Olympics won their first medal in London, where they took silver in the quadruple sculls. Since then, it’s been a gold rush: victories in Rio, Tokyo, and now Paris in two events: coxless pairs and double sculls. They have achieved over 14 medals at the world rowing elite level, which translates to four Olympic medals, six world championships, and seven European championships.
GOLD IN RIO, GOLD IN TOKYO, AND GOLD IN PARIS. HOW DO YOU COMPARE THESE THREE MEDALS?
We arrived in Rio as a crew that hadn’t lost a race in three years; we were the absolute favorites for gold, and then the Lithuanians kept us on the ropes until the last 500 meters. After winning that first Olympic title, it felt like we stepped up to a higher level. Finally, we had gold, and we were definitely calmer because we had achieved our sporting dreams. For Tokyo, we were confident we could defend our title if we did everything right. Even with a change in discipline and the Games delayed due to COVID, we were powerful in Japan. In Paris, we were no longer the favorites, which allowed us to race with a sense of freedom. Our experience in winning, and perhaps even more our physical conditioning, made the difference. People think you have an advantage if you know how to win gold, and while that’s true, that experience won’t bring you another title if you’re not physically capable. The packed stands in Paris further inspired us – it was a beautiful sporting culture, even if ticket prices weren’t exactly popular.
HOW HAS YOUR ROUTINE CHANGED AS YOU’VE ENTERED A MORE MATURE PHASE OF YOUR SPORTING CAREER?
Rowing is a tough sport where, alongside your competitors, you must overcome your own pain limits. With our vast experience, we’ve developed the ability to recognize which battles are worth fighting and which we can afford to skip. Choosing wisely doesn’t mean giving up; it means accepting your limits and directing your energy to what really matters. We still love training, but now we focus more on technique and endurance.
WHAT’S NEXT? IS THERE A PLAN FOR LOS ANGELES IN 2028?
Yes, we haven’t made any big announcements; we’ve just decided to continue. Rowing is the best part of our lives; we love this sporting lifestyle, and the motivation is still there – so we’re heading to ‘la la land.’ Right now, we don’t feel any pressure and can just enjoy it. We say that now, but when we get there and feel the adrenaline – we’ll be fired up, 100 percent. We always expect the best from ourselves; that’s the best recipe for longevity in sport.
Text Hrvoje Bulešić
Photos Damir Kalogjera & HOO / Damir Senčar
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