From the special reporter "Vijesti"
This is definitely the best feeling, I experienced it again and I enjoy it again!
That's Vladimir Gojković's first reaction to the question of whether he feels the same emotion after so many years since his first Olympic performance.
Gojković is the only Montenegrin athlete who is an active participant in five Olympic Games - he was an Olympian three times as a player, in Tokyo he will lead the "sharks" as a coach for the second time.
"Sport is full of beautiful moments and memories, but also a lot of sacrifices and stress. It accumulates, but when you love something, you only think about how to proceed and how to, in this particular case, come to another Olympic Games. These are my second positions as a selector, I have five years of experience in this job, that's an important thing," says Gojković.
It all started 17 years ago in Athens, as a member of the SCG selection, one of the strongest, if not the strongest, the world has ever seen.
Surely the strongest that did not win gold.
"It's the best team I've ever played in, everything from ace to ace. I was a young player, it was difficult to fight for a place among 13 in such a competition. We lost the final to Hungary, in an inexplicable way. I remember that defeat, as well as the most painful defeat in my career, in Beijing four years later, against Montenegro, also against Hungary, but in the semi-finals. Years have passed, but the feeling is the same - everything opened up for us, we led, we played better, in the final the rival would be the USA selection. If we were drawing, we wouldn't have drawn a better chance. How we lost, it's for the annals, at the end of the fourth...", says Gojković.
Nevertheless, from this time distance, he is aware that the Olympic silver, which he won in his debut performance, has great significance.
"Later, I realized how difficult it is to get a medal, any kind of medal. I have that one, it's 'worn out', it should be renewed", says Gojković with a smile.
He is cautious by nature, he does not flaunt his statements, it all sounds modest, which is the complete opposite of what he knows about water polo.
And when, even between the lines, he mentions the medal, it is clear that something is "cooking".
"In Rio four years ago, we reached the semi-finals, but we did not play well, as, for example, in London four years before. Maybe I could have done better then, but I say - I'm more experienced now, I was at the beginning then. However, more than anything for optimism is what we have done in the last year and a half, how we have played, what results we have had and the fact that no one has outplayed us and when they would beat us. We have something to hope for.”
Gojković is a man of water polo, 24 hours dedicated to his work, after during his playing career he was considered a top professional...
"What keeps me with water polo? Without emotion and passion, there is no sport, after all, you can't be successful in any business if you don't love what you do. Water polo is both my life and my job. "I ended my playing career early, because I wanted to and because I thought it was the right time for a new water polo story," Gojković points out.
If it wasn't for family support, he wouldn't be able to be so dedicated...
"Or I'm at the pool, and when I'm at home - then I'm at the laptop. I often only answer with 'yes' or 'no', I'm just physically present. But I have the understanding of my nearest and dearest, that's the basis of everything and that's why I can dedicate myself to water polo. However, it is unlikely that I will ever again find myself in a situation where I have to work two jobs, after being the coach of Jadran and the coach of Montenegro for three years. That was already too much.”
Vlado lives for water polo, and his successors, it seems, have already chosen the same path.
"Strahinja is 14 years old, he is talented, and most importantly, he loves water polo and has the opportunity to develop in the Adriatic, where they work well with younger generations. Vukašin is 11, he is younger, and he started that way, we will see, he is at the beginning. I don't go to their trainings, I know that they have all the conditions, that they have professional support, I follow them from the corner of my eye", concludes Gojković.
Montenegro needs a strategic approach to sports
Gojković won European bronze and gold in the world league with the Montenegrin national team, but he is most proud of something else.
"When I see just how many players that I managed at the beginning of my career in Jadran came and went through the national team, created a reputation, that makes me very happy. The next step should be to win medals", says the "Shark" selector, but notes:
"It's a huge success for Montenegro that it has so many athletes at the Olympic Games, and I see that someone belittles it... It's terrible. Behind it is great talent, enormous work, nobody gives anything away. Recently, the Japanese media wrote about us in such a way that they emphasized that it is a miracle that Montenegro with one pool has a water polo selection at the Games. Well, the handball players, their silver from London – it's a feat, it's a miracle. Now Marija Vuković has jumped the Olympic norm, what a result it is... I hope that all this will finally force everyone to work more seriously on the strategic interests and goals of Montenegrin sports, which, unfortunately, have not yet been developed, and the years are passing by," Gojković points out. .
Bonus video:
