Dubravko Šimenc (born 2 November 1966 in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
) is a former
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
water polo
Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...
player who competed for both
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
and
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 ...
,
and later water polo coach.
Dubravko Šimenc's father
Zlatko was a water polo player who won the silver medal at the
1964 Summer Olympics playing for Yugoslavia, and also a professor at the Faculty of
Kinesiology
Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human healt ...
. Šimenc's mother was a volleyball player. As a boy, Šimenc played many different sports. He started to play water polo in 1975.
Šimenc's first major medal was silver in the 1985 European Championships with Yugoslavia. The following year, his club
Mladost won the World Champion title in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
.
He was given the honour to
carry the national flag of Croatia at the
opening ceremony of the
2004 Summer Olympics in
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, becoming the
20th water polo player to be a
flag bearer
A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a f ...
at the opening and closing
ceremonies of the Olympics.
He gave support to
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović (; born 29 April 1968) is a Croatian politician and diplomat who served as President of Croatia from 2015 to 2020. She was the first woman to be elected to the office since the first multi-party elections in 1990 and ...
at the
2014–15 Croatian presidential election.
See also
*
Croatia men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Croatia men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
The Croatia men's national water polo team has participated in 7 of 27 official men's water polo tourn ...
*
*
List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
This is a list of Water polo at the Summer Olympics, Olympic champions in men's water polo since the inaugural official edition in Water polo at the 1900 Summer Olympics, 1900.
Abbreviations
History
Water polo at the Summer Olympics, Men's wat ...
*
List of Olympic medalists in water polo (men)
Men's water polo has been part of the Summer Olympics program since 1900. Hungary men's national water polo team has won sixteen Olympic medals, becoming the most successful country in men's tournament.
There are fifty-nine male athletes who have ...
*
*
List of men's Olympic water polo tournament top goalscorers
This is a list of top goalscorers in the men's Olympic water polo tournament since the inaugural official edition in 1900.
Abbreviations
Overall top goalscorers
As of 2016, 57 male players have scored 30 or more goals at the Summer Olympics.
...
*
List of flag bearers for Croatia at the Olympics
*
List of world champions in men's water polo
This is a list of world champions in men's water polo since the inaugural official edition in 1973.
Abbreviations
History
The 1973 Men's World Water Polo Championship was the first edition of the men's water polo tournament at the World Aquati ...
*
References
*
External links
*
1966 births
Living people
Croatian male water polo players
Croatian water polo coaches
Yugoslav male water polo players
Olympic silver medalists for Croatia in water polo
Olympic water polo players of Yugoslavia
Olympic gold medalists for Yugoslavia
Water polo players at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Water polo players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Water polo players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Water polo players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Sportspeople from Zagreb
Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Croatian people of Slovenian descent
Expatriate water polo players
Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Italy
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