The games he's on Michael Phelps won as many as eight gold medals will be especially remembered by Montenegrin sports fans. Beijing in 20008 - the Olympic Games and the debut of our athletes, the Montenegrin flag was finally flown, and it wasn't long before it was on the podium...
Montenegro was represented in China by water polo players who just a month earlier sensationally - at the first major competition in history - became European champions in Malaga, there were also judokas Srdjan Mrvaljević, boxes Milorad Gajović, shooter Nikola Šaranović, athletes Milena Milasevic i Goran Stojiljkovic, as well as a swimmer Marina Kuč.
At the opening, the flag was carried by a legendary water polo player Veljko Uskokovic, and the "sharks" were one step away from a medal in Beijing - they were defeated by Serbia in the match for bronze.
On their debut, Montenegro drew with Hungary 10:10, then defeated Canada 12:0, and then Greece 10:6, before being defeated by Spain 12:6.
Thus, the duel with Australia in the last match in the group was crucial for passage, a defeat would mean elimination and it was a draw - 6:6, after the goalkeeper Miloš Šćepanović in the last attack of the game, he defended the zicer.
A great victory of the chosen ones followed Petar Porobić in the quarter-finals over Croatia (7:6), and then a loss to the Hungarians in the semi-finals when our team led for a long time, and in the end, under the pressure of the giants and the referees, had to accept relegation. Hungary triumphed 11:9.
In the second semi-final, the United States outclassed Serbia (10:5), and in the match for the bronze medal, Montenegro played the weakest game in the tournament, despite the fact that the "dolphins" were weakened by not playing several standard first teams.
Phelps did what the "sharks" could not do - not only did he win eight medals, but each of them was the most brilliant. The American surpassed the record of his compatriots Marko Špica in terms of the number of gold medals, and equaled his performance in terms of the number of world records.
Still, a stain remained in one of the races - the 100-meter butterfly - because even today there are those who believe that the Serb Milorad Čavić touched the finish line first, but officials defended themselves and pointed out that he should have hit the timing device harder.
He also entered the legend Usain Bolt, who raced through the "Bird's Nest" like the wind and broke world records at 100 and 200 meters, and in the 4x100 meter relay.
She was also phenomenal Yelena Isinbayeva. A Russian woman broke the world record (pole vault), and as expected, American basketball players led by Kobe Bryant i Lebron James.
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The Chinese also believed, but the athlete made them cry Ksjang Liu who was injured... In football, the title was won by Argentina led by Leo Messi, Sergio Aguero i Angelo di Maria, and that after she was better than in the semi-finals Ronaldinho's brazilian
The Games in Beijing, by the way, officially started symbolically on August 8, 8 at 2008:8 p.m. (8, by the way, is a lucky number for the Chinese).
"Let dreams fly on wings, let the world embrace in peace", was the message of the organizers of the Games, which are one of the best organized in history and which gave homework to many...
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