The local authorities in Split-Dalmatia County have recently decided to reward the four Olympic medalists, who hail from this Croatian region, and the two of them who were Olympic champions in their events in Tokyo received the highest reward, 25,000 kuna at a ceremony in Split on 9 August.

Those were Matea Jelic, who grabbed the Olympic gold medal in the women’s taekwondo 67kg final, and Mate Pavic, who was a member of the Croatian pair that won the Olympic men’s doubles tennis title.

A reward of 20,000 kuna was given to sailor Tonci Stipanovic, who bagged silver in the men’s one-person dinghy laser event at the Tokyo Games, while a reward of 15,000 kuna was for the Olympic bronze medallist Toni Kanaet in the taekwondo 80kg men event.

During the 23 July-8 August Olympic Games in Tokyo, Croatia won eight medals: three golds, three silvers and two bronzes.

The latest Croatian Olympic champions are thus taekwondoist Jelic, rowers Valent and Martin Sinkovic in the men’s pair, and the Croatian tennis players – Pavic and Nikola Mektic – who won the Olympic men’s doubles tennis title.

The three silvers were grabbed in the above-mentioned sailing event as well as in the men’s doubles tennis event (Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig) and in the men’s horizontal bar (Tin Srbic).

Apart from Kanaet, the other bronze medallist was a rower, Damir Martin, who won bronze in the men’s single sculls.

Croatia placed 26th out of 93 states in the rankings of medal winners at the 32nd Olympics in Japan while the most successful were U.S. athletes with 39 gold medals, 41 silvers and 33 bronzes won.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)