President Nikolic Watches Serb Shooter Win Bronze
Any Olympic athlete can feel the pressure to bring home a medal. When your country’s president is cheering you on from the crowd, the motivation to deliver is only greater.
Serb marksman Andrija Zlatić was not swayed in his focus and he succeeded in winning bronze on day one of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Serbia’s newly-installed President Tomislav Nikolić watched from the crowd as Zlatić won his country’s first medal.
Speaking about Serbia’s medal hopes, President Nikolić told Wild Rooster: “This victory will be the first of ten, maybe. We are the best but we are maybe a little bit small (country). If we are bigger, we could be the best in the World.
“We have 115 athletes here. They didn’t come because they wanted to, but because they deserve it.”
Serb Boxer Shoulders The Hopes Of A Nation
Olympic fever has swept through a small town in Serbia, thanks to the efforts and achievements of young Serb middleweight boxer Aleksandar Drenovak. While the international spotlight is focused on London, celebrations will be kicking off in the spa town of Vrnjačka Banja, where Olympic excitement has become very personal.
Since winning his place to compete under the Serbian flag at London 2012, Aleksandar, aged 28, has become something of a local hero in the popular spa town in the Raška District of southwestern Serbia.
“Only about 20,000 live in Vrnjačka Banja so we are all like one big family,’ he told Wild Rooster. “Everybody there is very excited about me being at the Olympic Games. They will watch my matches on big video screens in the centre of town.
“I am very happy that I made them all so proud by getting this far. Because of me they are in some way a part of the Games. I hope that I can do them proud with my performance.”
Team Serbia Welcomed To London 2012
Let the Games begin. Team Serbia has officially arrived at London 2012. The excitement among the athletes was palpable, as they paraded through the Olympic Village in a ceremony that mixed formality with celebration.
Among more than one hundred athletes representing Serbia at these Games, Novak Djoković, Milorad Čavić, Ana Ivanovic and Nadja Higl attracted most attention from international media and even athletes from other countries who came to enjoy the spectacle.
Serbian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Dr Dejan Popović made the journey to Stratford, East London, to welcome the athletes to Britain. He stood alongside President of the Serbian Olympic Committee Vlade Divac as their nation’s flag was raised to mark the moment when Team Serbia was officially in residence at London 2012.
Serbian Tennis Stars Could Miss Olympic Buzz
Serbia’s tennis stars have arrived in Britain for the London 2012 Olympic Games, but some have voiced concerns that they might be forced to miss Friday’s Opening Ceremony.
Wimbledon 2011 champion Novak Djoković is set to lead his Serbian team mates into the Olympic Stadium on Friday but fellow Serbian tennis star Janko Tipsarević is concerned that travel times and match scheduling could mean that he might not even make the Opening Ceremony.
World-ranked number eight Janko told Wild Rooster: “I want to be there but if I am playing on Sunday at 10am or 11am, I guess I am going to skip it. But I hope that will not be. If I play at a decent time, I will try to attend the ceremony.”
Since arriving on Tuesday, Janko has been disappointed by some arrangements for tennis stars at London 2012.
