Jubilee of Olympic winners from LA ’84

40 years ago, in sunny California, in Los Angeles, at the Olympic water polo tournament, a very young strategist at the beginning of his coaching journey led 13 selected players to gold. To first place. To Olympus.

This weekend, on the occasion of the jubilee 40th anniversary of winning the Olympic gold, these water polo sports 'immortals' gathered again. He gathered them, called them all together, as befits the captain from 1984, Zoran Roje. On Saturday in Opatija, and on Sunday in Brtonigla and Zaluki, the water polo representatives of a country that no longer exists gathered, but their friendship never faded. Water polo giant to giant.

They arrived in Opatija - coach Ratko Rudić, of course captain Zoran Roje, but also goalkeepers Andrija Popović and Milorad Krivokapić, and centers Tomislav Paškvalin and Igor Milanović; then Milivoj Bebić, Veselin Đuho, Goran Sukno, Deni Lušić, Perica Bukić, Božo Vuletić, Dragan Andrić. The only thing missing was Zoran Petrović, who is allegedly in Canada.

This group of men won the Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 1984, which they will defend four years later (in a slightly changed composition) in Seoul. Four of this team are members of the Water Sports Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale – Ratko Rudić, Perica Bukić, Milivoj Bebić and Igor Milanović

The cream of water polo for all time gathered at the Grand Hotel 4 Opatija Cvijeta, and the greats were greeted by Predrag Sloboda, vice-president of the Croatian Water Polo Association, as well as Ivica Tucak, coach of Barakud, the current world champions, European runners-up, as well as silver medalists from the Olympic Games in Paris.

After dinner and socializing on Saturday in Opatija, the continuation follows on Sunday in Istria. First at the Veralda winery in Brtonigla, not far from Buje, and then in Zaluki in the municipality of Matulji, in the restaurant "Villa Plasa".

Photo: Josip Kurti