Zvonko Bezjak (born Antun Petar Bezjak on 29 June 1935) is a retired

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 ...

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consis ...

er of

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

n origin.ŽIVLJENJEPISI SLOVENCEV V HRVAŠKEM ŠPORTU
slovenci-zagreb.hr (2014). p. 222 He competed for

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

and finished in sixth place. He won a gold medal at the

1963 Mediterranean Games The 1963 Mediterranean Games, officially known as the IV Mediterranean Games, and commonly known as Naples 1963, were the 4th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Naples, Italy over 8 days, from 21 to 29 September 1963, where 1,057 athlete ...

. As a teenager Bezjak tried fencing and wrestling before changing to athletics. In 1953 he won the Yugoslav junior pentathlon championships, where he performed well not only in throwing, but also in sprint events, running 100 m in 11.3 and 200 m in 23.2 seconds. Next year he moved from his native Varaždin to

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, and received a degree in economics there in 1960. During his hammer throwing career Bezjak had a strong rivalry with

Krešimir Račić Krešimir "Krešo" Račić (15 August 1932 – 19 June 1994) was a Croatian hammer thrower. He competed for Yugoslavia in the 1956 and 1960 Summer Olympics and placed sixth in 1956. He won a gold medal in the 1959 Mediterranean Games and a bronz ...

, with Bezjak winning the Yugoslav title in 1956, 1958, 1960 and 1963 and Račić in 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1964. Bezjak retired in 1965. He did not pursue a coaching career, and instead worked for the catering company Ključice in

Novi Marof Novi may refer to the following : Places and jurisdictions Balkans * Novi Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Novi Sad, a city in Serbia * the former Catholic Diocese of Novi, with see at Herceg-Novi (Castelnuovo), in Montenegro; now a Latin titu ...

until 1991. He had a sister Vida, whose son Zlatko Bezjak became a competitive

javelin throw The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the ...

er.

References

1935 births Living people Sportspeople from Varaždin Croatian male hammer throwers Yugoslav male hammer throwers Olympic male hammer throwers Olympic athletes of Yugoslavia Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Croatian people of Slovenian descent Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Yugoslavia Mediterranean Games gold medalists in athletics Athletes (track and field) at the 1963 Mediterranean Games Balkan Athletics Championships winners {{Yugoslavia-athletics-bio-stub