"Olympic cycle" and "Nutrition and health" - what eminent sportswomen and experts say about these topics

"It is also necessary to dream about big things, to set them as a goal. It is also important to be realistic in some demands, but at the same time to dare to do the impossible. And to take advantage of every moment, because time and opportunity no one can return," said Jelena Dubljević

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From the conference, Photo: Sportfem CG
From the conference, Photo: Sportfem CG
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

"Olympic cycle" and "Nutrition and health of male and female sportsmen" were the topics of the Sport from another angle conference, which was organized for the fourth year in a row by the Secretariat for Sport of the Capital City and NGO Svijet-Mondo, founder of the specialized portal for women's sports - www.sportfem .me.

About life and ambitions in top sports, how sportsmen and women function in the regime of professional obligations, and how they cope with the pressure of the rhythm based on the time from training to training, from match to match, from competition to match, two spoke our famous athletes - Katarina Bulatović, former great handball player, multiple winner of the biggest medals at national and club level, now sports director of the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, and Jelena Dubljević, famous basketball player, long-time national team member, one of the few European women who won a championship ring in the WNBA league , is now the president of the Basketball Association of Montenegro.

"The answer to the question of what a young athlete should do to be top-notch could be very simple - he needs to have his own goal and what he wants to do in life. When you have a goal, you also have a path. Sometimes one deviates from that path, problems arise, but one learns from problems. In this way, you become a better athlete and a better person. It is also necessary to dream about big things, to set them as a goal. Also, it is important to be realistic in some requests, but at the same time to dare to do the impossible. And to take advantage of every moment, because no one can return time and opportunity", said Jelena Dubljević.

Katarina Bulatović experienced the best moments of her sports career in London in 2012, after she won Olympic silver with the Montenegrin national team. She was also a member of the national team, four years later in Rio de Janeiro.

"For athletes who are not satisfied with success, who are not satisfied with participating in one Olympic Games, but want more - the next Olympic cycle begins practically when the previous one ends. But, in fact, it is also the rhythm of top athletes, especially those who play in top clubs and national teams. For them, there is no 'idle walk' in their career, there is not much rest, but competitions and demands are always high. For them, it is a way of life", stressed Katarina Bulatović.

At the Conference, an interview with Dragan Jović, coach of the Serbian taekwondo national team and the most decorated Serbian Olympic coach, was broadcast, a man whose competitors won five medals from London 2012 to Paris 2024, two gold and one silver each, and one bronze.

"I believe that the one who is destined to be a champion does not need motivation. Those who want it pull you by the sleeve, they are the first in front of the training room, they don't give up, they don't speak up when they have a minor injury... On the other hand, you also see melancholic talents, who can beat talent in younger categories, but not when enter the senior competition. Unfortunately, there are not many of these first, but that is why they are great champions", said Dragan Jović.

How important nutrition and the role of fitness and conditioning training are in today's sport, how much attention is paid to these two extremely important segments in achieving top results in Montenegro, said Sara Jovanović, nutritionist and karate player, Jovana Peković, our judo national team member and participant of numerous major competitions, and Vladimir Popović, an internationally recognized bodybuilding and fitness trainer, with certificates in several fields at the seminar of one of the world's best experts, Sten Eferding.

"Good nutrition can improve the performance of athletes and the recovery of muscles and the whole organism, while inadequate nutrition often leads to injuries, inflammation, disease... I think that our athletes are aware of the importance of proper nutrition, that they use it in their professional life, but there are also those who seek expert advice. I think there will be even more," said Sara Jovanović.

Jovana Peković practices a very difficult and physically demanding sport - judo, which is divided into weight categories.

"Earlier, when I was younger, I controlled and lost weight in the wrong way. It took years for me to understand what was holding me back from taking a step forward in my senior career. I changed my eating habits, I changed my habits and it was easier. These are all sacrifices, but sacrifices are a normal thing in the life of a professional athlete, and if we want to achieve the results we strive for, we have to be ready for it," said Jovana Peković.

In modern sports, the role of fitness and conditioning coaches is extremely important and much different than before.

"Our coaches from those areas are trying to progress and improve, there are many who learn from the best experts from the world of sports. This should continue, education must be constant, because only in this way can we keep up with developed countries. In today's sport, all segments are connected - technical-tactical training, fitness training, nutrition, nutritional supplements... and if one of these segments is omitted, it will, without a doubt, have an impact on the sports result. Today's sport simply does not forgive mistakes. In all aspects, an athlete must be maximally dedicated and professional in order to stand up to the competition, because he must know that somewhere else there are certainly many who are doing well, doing everything right and what is needed in order to achieve the results he wants," he said. Vladimir Popovic.

Marino Bašić, a fitness and conditioning trainer from Croatia, one of the best regional experts in the field, in a recorded conversation, emphasized how much the role of fitness and conditioning trainers, as well as the awareness of sportsmen and women, have changed. In his career, which lasts over 20 years, Bašić collaborated with big names, such as tennis players Miloš Raonic and Borna Ćorić, with the Sinković brothers, multiple Olympic champions in rowing, he has experience working in team sports (Croatian U21 selection...) .

"In professional sports, the boundaries have shifted, careers last longer, because athletes are aware that they have to train and work extra, as well as take care of all other things in their lives. Now kids at the age of 10-12 start to train additionally, those at 16 or 18 are already in serious talks. "When a 32-33-year-old athlete has 15 years of quality work and life behind him, if he eats well and properly, he feels strong and supple, his body is at full strength and of course he is ready to continue," Bašić said.

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