Montenegrin sport enters the Olympic year of 2024 with a lot of challenges, hopes and expectations.
The world's largest sports event will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, and Montenegro is seeking visas for the City of Light in three collective sports.
Water polo players have two major competitions before the Olympics to try to continue the low participation in the Olympics, which started back in Beijing 2008, continued in London 2012, Rio 2016 (three fourth places) and Tokyo 2021.
Vladimir Gojković's boys are already participating in the European Championship in Croatia - in Dubrovnik and Zagreb - from January 4 to 16, and then the World Championship awaits them in Doha, Qatar, in mid-February.
What do the "sharks" need to travel to Paris - the calculation is complicated and depends on the results of other national teams. In short, there is a better chance in Qatar, where they would most likely reach the Olympic visa by placing among the top eight. Previously, in Zagreb, a final would probably be necessary.
Handball players are the owners of the only Montenegrin Olympic medal - remember the silver on their debut in London 2012, and they also participated in Rio and Tokyo.
In order for the "lionesses" to be placed in France, it is necessary for them to take one of the first two places in the qualifying tournament, which will be held from April 11 to 14 in Ulm, Germany. Rivals - hosts, Dragan Adžić's Slovenia and Paraguay. As Bojana Popović's players recently played at the World Cup in Denmark and Sweden, there should be no doubt that they will be up to the task in Germany as well.
The best Montenegrin basketball players are looking for an Olympic debut. Boško Radović's boys made a great success even by placing in the Olympic qualifications, and a visa for Paris would be a dream come true and the best result so far.
The qualification system is difficult, but Nikola Vucevic and company have a chance - first they need to win 1st place in the competition between Brazil and Cameroon, and then they have to beat the winner of the second part of the group that includes Latvia, Georgia and the Philippines. The host of the tournament is Latvia, and the qualifiers are played in June.
Montenegro is expecting sportsmen and women in individual competition in Paris.
Athlete Marija Vuković was ninth in Tokyo in the high jump, which will be remembered, and she will have several meetings before Paris to win the Olympic standard. Thrower Danijel Furtula also hopes for her, and special invitations are also possible...
The lights of Paris are also dreamed of by a constellation of talented boxers - from Bojana Gojković, through Petr Liješević, Stefan Savković, Petr Marčić... and Montenegro could also have representatives in taekwondo. Anđela Berishaj and Zinedin Baćović are our hopes.
Sailors (Milivoj Dukić and Ilija Marković) traditionally compete for the Olympic Games, and they could get "wild cards" in pole vaulting, as well as in rhythmic gymnastics with the talented Nina Dragović.
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