Nickname
Fico (NOC, 30 Apr 2008)
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Coaching - University of Zagreb: Croatia
Family
Daughter Eva [2017]
Spoken languages
Croatian, English, Russian
Club
GK Marijan Zadravec Macan: Cakovec, CRO
Coach
Igor Kriajimski [national]; Mario Vukoja
Injuries
He broke his leg in 2020. (tportal.hr, 20 Jun 2020)
He tore ligaments in his right knee during training in September 2019. He underwent surgery and had to miss the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. (tportal.hr, 03 Sep 2019; 24sata.hr, 03 Sep 2019)
In September 2009 he underwent shoulder surgery. (akromion.hr, 23 Sep 2009)
He injured his foot in 2004, dislocated his finger in 2006, and had a problem with his shoulder in 2007. (NOC, 30 Apr 2008)
Start sporting career
He took up the sport at age seven in Cakovec, Croatia.
Reason for taking up the sport
As a child he was always jumping over the furniture, so his mother signed him up to a gymnastics club when he started primary school. "I think he had no idea what gymnastics was. After that, he wanted to do other sports too, but I kept directing him towards gymnastics. I knew that if he did other sports too, in the end he would leave them all. When he started winning his first medals, then he really became committed to gymnastics," his mother said.
Milestones
He claimed Croatia's first Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics when he won silver on pommel horse at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Sep 2017; dalje.com, 17 Aug 2008)
Ambitions
To win a gold medal at a major international event. (sportske.jutarnji.hr, 21 Aug 2022)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning silver on pommel horse at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (hgs.hr, 28 Jul 2021)
Most influential person in career
His family. (rtl.hr, 26 Dec 2016)
Philosophy / Motto
"Never give up on your goals and dreams." (zg-magazin.com.hr, 20 Oct 2014)
Awards
He was named Best Athlete of 2022 in Cakovec, Croatia, by the Sports Association of the City of Cakovec. (emedjimurje.net.hr, 08 Feb 2023)
He was named the 2020 Male Athlete of the Year in Medimurje, Croatia. (mnovine.hr, 29 Jun 2021)
He received the 2008 Croatian Male Athlete of the Year award. (AIPS, 02 Jun 2009)
In 2008 he was presented with the Franjo Bucar State Award for Sport. The honour is the highest recognition for athletes in Croatia. (narod.hr, 17 Jul 2016)
Additional information
GOLD IN MIND
Having won two silver medals at the European championships and one silver each at the Olympic Games and the world championships during his career, he is driven by a desire to claim gold at a major international tournament before he retires. "I'm pushed by a feeling. I don't put pressure on myself, but that unfulfilled dream of winning gold at a major championship, that's what pushes me on and why I wake up in the morning. I am training to maybe, under some ideal conditions, win it. If not, everything is okay, if yes - [that would be] great." (sportske.jutarnji.hr, 21 Aug 2022)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2023 he was appointed as sports director of the GK Marijan Zadravec Macan gymnastics club in Cakovec, Croatia. (medjimurska-zupanija.hr, 22 Mar 2023)
Last update : 2024-07-22
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