Dragan Zdravković (born 16 December 1959, in
Senjski Rudnik
Senjski Rudnik ( sr-cyr, Сењски Рудник) is a village located in the municipality of Despotovac, eastern Serbia. According to the 2011 census, it had a population of 438 inhabitants. It is the site of the oldest preserved coal mine in S ...
) is a
Serbian former
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 ...
. He represented
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in international competition from the late 1970s to 1980s, and was a finalist at the
1980 Summer Olympics.
Zdravković holds multiple outdoor and indoor
Serbian records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Serbia maintained by its national athletics federation: Srpski Atletski Savez (SAS).
Outdoor
Key to tables:
+ = en route to a longer distance
h = hand timing
A = affected by altitude
...
.
Running career
Zdravković initially practiced
football as a youngster in
Ćuprija
Ćuprija (Serbian Cyrillic: Ћуприја, ) is a town and municipality located in the Pomoravlje District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 19,380, while the municipality has 30,645 inhabitants.
History
The Romans founded the ...
, until a school teacher, Aleksandar "Aca" Petrović, suggested that he begin training athletics.
Zdravković's youth coaches emphasized
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...
as a complement to his running workouts.
At the age of 21 he made his Olympic debut at the
1980 Summer Olympics. In the
men's 1500 meters, he progressed through the qualifying heat and semi-final rounds, but finished last in the finals. In spite of this, he was particularly happy to race with
Steve Ovett:
On 6 March 1983 Zdravković won the men's
men's 3000 meters at the European Indoor Championships. On 15 July 1983 he won the men's 1500 meters in 3:35.28 (min:sec) at the
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and outdoor athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace Exhibition building which ...
in an upset over Sebastian Coe.
He had qualified for the
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...
, but the Athletics Federation of Yugoslavia had a sportswear contract with
Adidas, and after not changing his sportswear to Adidas, Zdravković was taken off the Yugoslavian 1984 Olympic team.
International competitions
See also
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zdravkovic, Dragan
1959 births
Living people
People from Senjski Rudnik
Serbian male middle-distance runners
Yugoslav male middle-distance runners
Serbian male cross country runners
Yugoslav male cross country runners
Olympic athletes of Yugoslavia
Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Mediterranean Games silver medalists for Yugoslavia
Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Mediterranean Games
Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
World Athletics Championships athletes for Yugoslavia
Mediterranean Games medalists in athletics
Universiade bronze medalists for Yugoslavia