Branko Zorko (born 1 July 1967) is a
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n retired
middle distance runner
Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...
who specialized in the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...
. Zorko competed in the 1500 metres in five
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, from 1988 to 2004, making it through to the semi-finals in
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
and
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
. He won bronze medals at the
1993 World Indoor Championships in Toronto and the
1994 European Championships in Helsinki. In 1992 he was awarded the
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport ( hr, Državna nagrada za šport "Franjo Bučar") is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Cr ...
. He was born in
Hodošan.
Running career
Early career
On November 20, 1984, Zorko ran his first ever race, which he won on a cross country course at the age of 17.
Less than a year into training, he posted a time of 8:30 for 3000 meters and won a competitive high school race called ''Kros Sportskih Novosti''.
He declined offers to train with
AK Crvena Zvezda
AK Crvena zvezda is an athletics club from Belgrade, Serbia. It is part of the sports society SD Crvena Zvezda.
Honours and achievements Men
*National Championships
**Winners (40): 1953, 1954, 1955, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 19 ...
and instead remained in
Križevci
Križevci (; la, Crisium; hu, Kőrös ; german: Kreutz ) is a city in central Croatia with a total population of 21,122 and with 11,231 in the city itself (2011), the oldest city in its county, the Koprivnica-Križevci County.
History
The f ...
, where he did intervals on a track only once a week.
The rest of his training took place on forest trails, where Zorko alleged that bystanders would ask him why he was running and tell him to "take a hoe and dig out some corn".
International
At his first major international competition, Zorko finished sixth in the men's
3000 metres
The 3000 metres or 3000-metre run is a track running event, also commonly known as the "3K" or "3K run", where 7.5 laps are run around an outdoor 400 m track, or 15 laps around a 200 m indoor track.
It is debated whether the 3000m shoul ...
race at the
1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships. In 1990, he won his first major medal, winning bronze at the
European Indoor Championships in Glasgow. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Zorko began specializing in middle-distance disciplines, and eventually found his talent in the
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...
. In 1992, Zorko won the first international medal for the newly independent
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, winning a bronze medal at the 1992 European Indoor Athletics Championships. A year later he won the bronze medal for the men's
1500 metres
The 1500 metres or 1,500-metre run (typically pronounced 'fifteen-hundred metres') is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletic ...
at the
1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships, finishing only 0.39 seconds behind winner
Marcus O'Sullivan
Marcus O'Sullivan (born in Cork, Ireland on 22 December 1961) is an Irish retired middle-distance runner. He competed for Ireland at four Summer Olympics. After Steve Scott and John Walker, he is the third all-time by total of sub-4 minute ...
. Next year, Zorko finished second in the 1500 at the
1994 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and third at the
1994 European Championships in Athletics
The 16th European Athletics Championships were held from 7 August to 14 August 1994 in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki, Finland.
Men's results
Complete results were published.
Track
1986 , 1990 , 1994 , 1998 , 2002 ,
Field
1986 , 1990 , 199 ...
.
At the
1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 6th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France from March 7 to March 9, 1997. It was the first athletic championships to introduce women's pole vault. There were a total numb ...
and at the
2002 European Indoor Athletics Championships
The 2002 European Athletics Indoor Championships were held from Friday, 1 March to Sunday, 3 March 2002 in Vienna, the capital city of Austria. This was the last edition to be held in an even year to avoid it occurring in the same year as the outdo ...
, he finished in fourth place in the respective 1500 metre races.
Pacemaking
By the late 1990s, Zorko was increasingly suffering from injuries, which prompted him to turn to professional
pacemaking. As a pacemaker, he assisted in setting several world records, both indoors and outdoors, most notably for
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie ( am, ኀይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, ''haylē gebre silassē''; born 18 April 1973) is an Ethiopian retired long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Champions ...
. On July 11, 2005, Zorko announced his retirement at the
IAAF Grand Prix Zagreb.
Personal bests
.
Outdoors
Indoors
International competitions
References
External links
*
*
Croatian National Records - MenKrizevci.eu: Branko Zorko
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zorko, Branko
Croatian male middle-distance runners
Olympic athletes of Croatia
People from Međimurje County
Sport in Međimurje County
Olympic athletes of Yugoslavia
Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
1967 births
Living people
Franjo Bučar Award winners
European Athletics Championships medalists
Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Croatia
Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1997 Mediterranean Games