From Hvar to Paris 2024
by Mark Jardine 23 Jul 2024 20:00 BST
From Hvar to Paris 2024 © Mark Jardine
The Olympic Games are unique. Coming once every four years (or three since Tokyo 2020 after the Covid disruption), it can be a once in a lifetime sporting opportunity. For the small Croatian island of Hvar, Paris 2024 is a first, as the island's first-ever Olympian will be competing, and he's a sailor.
ILCA 7 sailor Filip Jurišic is from the beautiful island of Hvar in the Adriatic Sea off the Dalmatian coast. He now sails from Mornar Sailing Club in Split, but his roots remain with the island, and there is deep pride amongst the island residents.
Filip was first inspired into competitive sailing by following a solo Atlantic crossing and then, during his teenage years, he started to race. He quickly improved, becoming one of Croatia's top dinghy sailors, and was recognised by the Croatian Olympic Committee as an Athlete of the Year in 2023.
Qualifying to represent his nation at the Olympics was a tough task, as fellow Croatian Tonci Stipanovic has been hugely successful in the Laser / ILCA 7 class, winning silver medals in both the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
While Tonci Stipanovic qualified Croatia for Paris 2024 in the Men's Singlehanded Dinghy - through his place at 2023 Sailing World Championships in The Hague - Filip was just one place behind. Throughout the qualifying process the two sailors have battled hard, but Filip finished 8th at the 2024 ILCA 7 World Championship while Tonci was 17th, even though only 10 points separated them. This result secured Filip his place at Paris 2024.
The two friends continue to push each other on, striving to do their best for their nation, even though only one of them can compete at Paris 2024. More recently the pair finished 15th and 16th in the ILCA 7 Qualified Nations fleet at the Last Chance Regatta at Hyères.
Rikardo Novak is the Mayor of Hvar, and has known Filip since an early age, since he was his neighbour:
"Every time Filip achieves a top result we celebrate it in the town. The Hvar Town and Tourist Board sponsor him and it's a pleasure for us to see his success. He's a very kind person, and is always ready to speak to the kids in Hvar when he's here, as well as teaching the young sailors here at the town's sailing club. He has also helped to bring the Melges 24 National Championship to Hvar in October."
Iva Belaj Šantic of the Hvar Town Tourist Board focused on the aspirational example that Filip is to those growing up on the island:
"Here everything is connected with tourism. The whole economy, either directly or indirectly, is connected with the tourism industry, so for young people it is challenging to have aspirations outside of this. Filip is an example that there is a whole world of opportunity out there, and even if you come from a small island, and a small town, you can accomplish great things. For the younger generation of Hvar residents, Filip is the perfect role model."
As we published on Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com a few days ago, Filip Jurišic and his ILCA 7 starred in the music video for Croatian pop star Neno Belan's song 'Regata Zivota' (Regatta of my Life), which was filmed in the beautiful waters around Hvar, and was specifically written about Filip's qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Belan will be singing a concert on the 10th August in Hvar, which will no doubt include a rendition of the song!
The video itself, with its stunning visuals of dinghy sailing, acts as another way to reach new participants in the sport.
The Olympics are unique in the way they touch every part of the world, from the largest nations to the smallest islands. They are the pinnacle of a sports person's career, and can change the course of their lives. The time, effort, skill and dedication it takes to compete, let alone medal, at the Games is incredible, and we salute all the athletes at Paris 2024, and wish them the best of luck.
For sailing, the Olympics remain a unique way of showcasing our sport to a wider audience. The world is watching, and national broadcasters will pay particular attention to the sport when a sailor from their county is in the medal hunt. These are the moments which could lead someone to take up sailing. The aspirational nature of the event should never be underestimated, and who knows how Filip's story will inspire the next generation of sailors.
Mark Jardine
Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com Managing Editor