The Montenegrin Olympic team had the weakest results since Montenegro became part of the Olympic story. For the first time, the fights for a medal were unattainable - and is that a surprise, and will something change in four years?
Montenegro was represented in Paris in six sports - one team, five individual. Out of that only in two - water polo and sailing - on the basis of results, in the others on the basis of invitations.
In London, Rio and Tokyo, the delegation was much larger, due to the performance of the women's handball team, which won silver 12 years ago.
Since 2008, the fight and expectations for a high ranking - a place on the podium - were reserved for two selections, while judoka Srđan Mrvaljević, sailor Milivoj Dukić and athlete Marija Vuković were competitive in individual disciplines, within the limits of their capabilities, and more than that.
All the others, and credit to everyone who participated, were far from an elite competitive story.
Will something change in four years, and is it actually possible for something to change?
The Montenegrin water polo team, whatever it is and whoever is on the bench after the departure of Vladimir Gojković, is our only realistic Olympic hope for LA - to both place and attack high goals?
Sharks, whatever they are, are guardians of the Montenegrin competitive spirit at the Olympic Games, although the 31-year-old Dukić, if his body and ambitions are weighed down in the coming period, could earn a place among the best for the fifth time in his career.
In all other disciplines, placing in Los Angeles based on results would be a feat, for several reasons.
In team sports, the competition is so strong, and there are so few places - only 12.
In individual - Montenegro has neither the mass, nor the system, nor the expertise required by elite sport.
And there is no tradition, which is forgotten, which is extremely important.
No athlete from Montenegro has an Olympic medal in individual sports, not even from the time of the SFRY, although it had great champions, such as Miodrag Perunović or Dragomir Bečanović.
Individual sports, the real Olympic ones - athletics, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, fencing, archery, archery, table tennis - and these new modern ones - have never been attractive to boys and girls from Montenegro. And that will hardly change...
And in order to create competitive competitors, a wide base of talents is needed, and the right work with them...
Bojana Gojković, for example, does not have a sparring partner in Montenegro, because she is practically the only woman who practices boxing at a serious level - how can we expect her to be a candidate for placement in Los Angeles, and only a candidate for a medal?
That's why, at the beginning of the next Olympic cycle, one should not set too high goals, but celebrate every placement in LA and guard the "sharks" like the Olympic flame.
Bonus video:
