Duje Draganja

Duje Draganja
Personal information
Full name Duje Draganja
Nationality  Croatia
Born February 27, 1983 (1983-02-27) (age 28)
Split, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 81 kg
Sport
Sport Swimming
Stroke(s) butterfly, freestyle

Duje Draganja (Croatian pronunciation: [ˈdujɛ ˈdraɡaɲa]; born February 27, 1983 in Split) is a swimmer from Croatia who won the silver medal in the men's 50 meter freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Draganja won a silver medal in 2005 World Aquatics Championships held in Montreal in 50 m freestyle. He has 4 medals from World Short Course Swimming Championships. In 2006 and 2008 he won a gold medal in 50 meter freestyle. Also he has bronze medal in 100 m freestyle (2008) and bronze medal in 50 m butterfly (2006).

Draganja is also a former NCAA record holder in the 100 yard freestyle, with a time of 41.49, set in 2005, while he swam for the University of California, Berkeley. He, like many other world-class, non-American swimmers, chose to spend 4 years training and competing at an American university. During his four years with Cal, Duje won 10 Pac-10 swimming titles, and eight NCAA National championships. While at Cal, he trained with the world-renown sprinting coach Mike Bottom. Bottom coached Draganja for seven years before they parted ways following the 2008 Olympics.[1][2] Now Draganja trains in Zagreb with swimming club Dubrava.

He has been controversial in Croatia for his decision to take the citizenship of Qatar and continue his swimming career under the flag of that country, after receiving a very lucrative offer to do so. Croatian public opinion largely turned against Draganja at that time with the press portraying him as a villain with no respect for his homeland. Draganja accepted a Qatar passport in August 2005 claiming that he will keep his Croatian passport and will not change his religion. Draganja was raised Roman Catholic.[3]

However, in February 2006, the swimmer made it clear that he had reversed his decision and that he will continue to compete for his country of birth, Croatia.[4]

Contents

Personal bests

Long course

Short course

References

  1. ^ "Duje se rastaje s trenerom: Moram pronaći razlog zašto su napredovali svi osim mene" (in Croatian). Index.hr. August 15, 2008. http://www.index.hr/sport/clanak/duje-se-rastaje-s-trenerom-moram-pronaci-razlog-zasto-su-napredovali-svi-osim-mene/398388.aspx. Retrieved 2008-08-16. 
  2. ^ "Draganja: Bottom me iznenadnim odlaskom jako razočarao" (in Croatian). Večernji list. March 22, 2009. http://www.vecernji.hr/sport/ostalo/draganja-bottom-me-iznenadnim-odlaskom-jako-razocarao-clanak-271. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 
  3. ^ (Croatian) Dragičević, Darko (2010-04-18). "Draganja, I will always be a Croat and a Catholic". Večernji list. http://www.vecernji.hr/sport/ostalo/draganja-ja-cu-uvijek-biti-hrvat-katolik-clanak-127640. Retrieved 2010-05-29. "Ja ću uvijek biti Hrvat i Katolik.("I will always be a Croat and a Catholic.")" 
  4. ^ "Draganja Turns His Back on Qatar". http://www.swimmersworld.com/News/?ID=4197. Retrieved 2007-12-01. 
  5. ^ a b c "CRO Records Long Course". July 31, 2009. http://www.fina.org/pool/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=722. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 
  6. ^ a b "CRO Records Short Course". December 11, 2009. http://www.scmsom.se/records/countries/CRO%20Records%20Short%20Course.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-12. 

External links

Records
Preceded by
Stefan Nystrand		 Men's 50 metres freestyle
world record holder (short course)
April 11, 2008 – September 7, 2008		 Succeeded by
Roland Schoeman