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 ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
which took place from 29 July to 12 August 1984. Yugoslav athletes had competed in every Summer Olympic Games since their official debut in 1920. The
(''JOK'') sent a delegation of 139 athletes, 105 men and 34 women, competing in 16 sports, down from 164 competitors in 1980. Due to the Soviet-led boycott, Yugoslavia was one of only three
Communist countries
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
.
Yugoslavia left Los Angeles with a total of 18 Olympic medals (7 gold, 4 silver, and 7 bronze), finishing ninth in the overall medal standings, the best total in the history of Yugoslavia's participation in the Olympics. Five of these medals were won in team sports and included gold in both men's and women's handball tournaments, gold in the water polo tournament and bronze medals in men's football and basketball. The most successful sport was wrestling, winning the nation five medals, while the canoeing duo of
Matija Ljubek
Matija Ljubek (; 22 November 1953 – 11 October 2000) was a Croatian sprint canoeist who competed in the 1970s and 1980s and later became a sports official.
Born in Belišće, Osijek-Baranja, Ljubek competed in four Summer Olympics where he w ...
and Mirko Nišović were the only Yugoslav athletes who won more than a single Olympic medal. For the first time in its history, Yugoslavia sent athletes to compete in rhythmic gymnastics, a new event introduced into the Olympic programme, with 14-year-old gymnast Danijela Simić the youngest participant in the entire Yugoslav delegation.
Among the nation's medalists were canoeist
Matija Ljubek
Matija Ljubek (; 22 November 1953 – 11 October 2000) was a Croatian sprint canoeist who competed in the 1970s and 1980s and later became a sports official.
Born in Belišće, Osijek-Baranja, Ljubek competed in four Summer Olympics where he w ...
, who took his third and fourth career Olympic medals, wrestler Shaban Sejdiu, who won his second career Olympic bronze medal, another wrestler Shaban Tërstena became the youngest Olympic Champion ever in
Wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
after winning his Gold medal with the age of 19 in the Men's freestyle 52 kg. Rowers
Zoran Pančić
Zoran Pančić (born 25 September 1953 in Novi Sad) is a Serbian rower who competed for Yugoslavia. He and Milorad Stanulov
Milorad Stanulov (born 20 February 1953, in Zrenjanin) is a Serbian rower who competed for Yugoslavia. ...
double scull
A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand.
Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly ...
s after winning silver in the same event in 1980. Water polo coach
Ratko Rudić
Ratko Rudić (born 7 June 1948 in Belgrade, PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia) is a retired Croatian water polo coach and a former water polo player. , he has won 38 medals as a coach at major events, making him the most successful water polo coach in ...
led the national men's team to triumph in the tournament, a feat he would repeat in
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
.
Medalists
Yugoslavia finished in ninth position in the final medal rankings, with seven gold medals and 18 medals overall. Both totals were Yugoslavia's best ever performance at the Olympic Games.
, width="78%" align="left" valign="top" ,
, width="22%" align="left" valign="top" ,
Competitors
The following is the list of number of Yugoslav athletes participating in the Games:
Athletics
;Men
;Field events
;Women
;Field events
Basketball
Men's tournament
;Roster
*
Dražen Dalipagić
Dražen "Praja" Dalipagić (; born 27 November 1951) is a Serbian former professional basketball player and head coach. He was selected the best athlete of Yugoslavia in the year 1978, and is one of the most decorated athletes in Yugoslavian his ...
Andro Knego
Andrija "Andro" Knego (born 21 October 1956) is a Croatian former professional basketball player.
Professional career
During his club career, Knego was the FIBA Saporta Cup Finals Top Scorer, in 1982.
Yugoslavian national team
Knego played wi ...
*
Emir Mutapčić
Emir Mutapčić (born 27 May 1960) is a Bosnian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently works as the head coach for Zalaegerszeg of the Hungarian league. Mutapčić competed for Yugoslavia in the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1 ...
*
Mihovil Nakić
Mihovil Nakić-Vojnović (born 31 July 1955) is a Croatian former professional basketball player. Standing at , he played as a small forward.
Club career
Nakić spent most of his club career in Cibona, which he helped win back-to-back EuroLea ...
Dražen Petrović
Dražen Petrović (; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s, before joining the Nati ...
*
Ratko Radovanović
Ratko "Raša" Radovanović (; born 16 October 1956) is a Serbian former professional basketball player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia, at the 1980 Summer Olympics, and at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Early life
Born in the town of Nevesinje within ...
Rajko Žižić
Rajko Žižić (January 22, 1955 – August 7, 2003) was a Yugoslavian professional basketball player. The 6'11", 243-pounder represented Yugoslavia at the 1976 Summer Olympics, the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 S ...
* Nebojša Zorkić
;Preliminary round (Group A)
* Preliminary round (group A)
** Defeated
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
(96-83)
** Defeated Australia (94-64)
** Defeated Egypt (100-69)
** Defeated Brazil (98-85)
** Defeated Italy (69-65)
* Quarterfinals
** Defeated Uruguay (110-82)
* Semifinals
** Lost to Spain (61-74)
* Bronze Medal Match
** Defeated Canada (88-82) → Bronze Medal
Women's tournament
* Preliminary round
** Lost to United States (55-83)
** Lost to
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
(52-55)
** Lost to PR China (58-79)
** Defeated Canada (69-68)
** Lost to Australia (59-62) → Sixth and last place
* Team roster
** Sanja Ožegović
** Slavica Šuka
** Jelica Komnenović
**
Zagorka Počeković
Zagorka Počeković–Čupahin (Serbian Cyrillic: Загорка Почековић–Чупихан, born January 27, 1965) is a Yugoslav former female professional basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly ...
Redžep Redžepovski
Redžep Redžepovski ( mk, Реџеп Реџеповски; born 14 December 1962) is a retired Macedonian flyweight boxer, who won silver medal for Yugoslavia in the flyweight division (< 51 kg) at the
→ Silver Medal
*# First Round — Defeated Sanguo Teraporn (THA), 3:2
*# Second Round — Defeated
Pat Clinton
Patrick "Pat" Clinton (born 4 April 1964) Was a Scottish former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 1994. He held the WBO flyweight title from 1992 to 1993. At regional level, he held the British flyweight title from 1988 to 1999, and ...
Ibrahim Bilali
Ibrahim Bilali (born July 21, 1965) is a retired flyweight boxer from Kenya, who won a bronze medal in the flyweight division (– 51 kg) at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. In the semifinals he was defeated by ...
(KEN), 5:0
*# Final — Lost to Steve McCrory (USA), 4:1
Men's Bantamweight (– 54 kg)
* Ljubiša Simić
*# First Round — Lost to
Pedro Nolasco
Pedro Nolasco (February 2, 1962 – September 15, 1995) was a Dominican boxer, who won the bronze medal in the men's bantamweight category at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States.
This was the first Olympic medal of the Dom ...
(DOM), 1:4
Men's Lightweight (– 60 kg)
* Slobodan Pavlović
Men's Light welterweight (– 63.5 kg)
*
Mirko Puzović
Mirko Puzović (born April 24, 1956 in Аranđelovac, Serbia) is a retired boxer from Yugoslavia. At the 1984 Summer Olympics he won the bronze medal in the men's light welterweight division (– 63.5 kg). In the semifina ...
Men's Middleweight (– 75 kg)
* Damir Škaro
Men's Light-Heavyweight (– 81 kg)
* Anton Josipović
Men's Super Heavyweight (+ 91 kg)
*
Aziz Salihu
Aziz Salihu (born 1 May 1954 in Pristina, Kosovo) is one of the best retired Super heavyweight boxer of Kosovar Albanian descent. He represented Yugoslavia at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, and won the bronze ...
→ Bronze Medal
*# First Round – Bye
*# Quarterfinals – Defeated Peter Hussing (FRG), 3:2
*# Semifinals – Lost to Tyrell Biggs (USA), 0:5
Canoeing
Men's K-1 500 metres
* Milan Janić
Men's K-1 1000 metres
* Milan Janić
Men's C-2 500 metres
*
Matija Ljubek
Matija Ljubek (; 22 November 1953 – 11 October 2000) was a Croatian sprint canoeist who competed in the 1970s and 1980s and later became a sports official.
Born in Belišće, Osijek-Baranja, Ljubek competed in four Summer Olympics where he w ...
Matija Ljubek
Matija Ljubek (; 22 November 1953 – 11 October 2000) was a Croatian sprint canoeist who competed in the 1970s and 1980s and later became a sports official.
Born in Belišće, Osijek-Baranja, Ljubek competed in four Summer Olympics where he w ...
;Roster
;Group play
* Preliminary round (group B)
** Defeated Cameroon (2-1)
** Defeated Canada (1-0)
** Defeated Iraq (4-2)
* Quarterfinals
** Defeated West Germany (5-2)
* Semifinals
** Lost to France (2-4, after extra time)
* Bronze Medal Match
** Defeated Italy (2-1) → Bronze Medal
* Team roster
Zlatan Arnautović
Zlatan Arnautović (; born 2 September 1956) is a Serbian former handball coach and player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Born in Prijedor, Arnautović started playing handba ...
**
Mirko Bašić
Mirko Bašić (born 14 September 1960 in Bjelovar, SFR Yugoslavia) is a former Croatian handball player who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics and in the 1988 Summer Olympics. He has also played six EHF Champions League finals winning two in ...
**
Jovica Elezović
Jovica Elezović (; born 2 March 1956) is a Serbian former handball coach and player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Elezović started playing handball for his hometown club Vr ...
Milan Kalina
Milan Kalina (; born 13 August 1956) is a Serbian former handball player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Club career
After starting out at Partizan, Kalina played for Dinamo Pančevo and Crvena zvezda, before moving abr ...
**
Slobodan Kuzmanovski
Slobodan Kuzmanovski (; born 11 June 1962) is a Serbian handball coach and former player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1984 Summer Olympics and in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Born in Šabac, Kuzmanovski started out at his hometown ...
Zdravko Rađenović
Zdravko Rađenović ( sr-cyrl, Здравко Рађеновић, born 5 September 1952) is a Bosnian retired handball player and former president of the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who competed for Yugoslavia national handball t ...
Branko Štrbac
Branko Štrbac ( sr-cyrl, Бранко Штрбац, born 25 July 1957) is a former Serbian handball player. In 1984 he was a member of the Yugoslav handball team which won the gold medal at the Olympics. In 1982 he was part of the Yugoslav team ...
**
Veselin Vujović
Veselin Vujović (born 18 January 1961) is a Montenegrin handball coach and former professional player. He is the current coach of Iran national team.
As a player, Vujović competed at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics for the Yugoslavia natio ...
**
Veselin Vuković
Veselin Vuković (; born 19 December 1958) is a Serbian handball coach and former player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Club career
Born in Struga ( PR Macedonia), Vuković moved with his family to Šabac (PR Serbia) at ...
**
Zdravko Zovko
Zdravko Zovko (born 28 May 1955) is a retired Croatian handball player.
Career
Zovko spent his entire playing career in RK Medveščak from Zagreb and in Syracuse, Sicily, for C.C. Ortigia. He won three Yugoslav Cups with the club and durin ...
* Preliminary Round Robin
** Yugoslavia – Federal Republic of Germany 20:19 (11:12)
** Yugoslavia – Austria 30:15 (15:8)
** Yugoslavia – United States 33:20 (14:10)
** Yugoslavia – South Korea 29:23 (15:14)
** Yugoslavia – China 31:25 (15:15) → Gold Medal
* Team roster
** Jasna Ptujec
**
Mirjana Ognjenović
Mirjana Ognjenović (born 17 September 1953, in Zagreb) is a former Yugoslav/Croatian handball player who competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics and in the 1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Ol ...
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...