Vucic welcomed golden Ivana Spanovic: It is important to me that Reese was defeated! (VIDEO) (PHOTO)
Serbian president said that the state will support sports even more, especially those sports where medals are being won
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic received the world champion in long jump Ivana Spanovic and the members of the national team of Serbia in the shooting, who won medals in recently completed European championship in Djer.
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Ivana Spanovic became the World Indoor Champion with 6.96 meters, beating the current champion Brittney Reese who jumped 6.89.
The meeting, which was held at 8:30 am in the building of the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic, was attended by a delegation of the Athletic Federation of Serbia, headed by President Veselin Jevrosimovic, as well as Goran Obradovic, the coach of our champion.
- Good day everyone. I want to thank you Ivana, Goran, the leadership of AFS, Veselin and Slobodan. Congratulations to everyone on extraordinary successes. Ivana told me before this official part that she expected the Indoor gold medal, that it was normal for her.
- I am pushing her to Japan and Tokio 2020. Since Heike Drechsler jumped when she was 49, that means another 12 years of medals for Serbia. I believe that Bronze in Rio will be paid off in Tokio - president Vucic said at the beginning of his speech.
- Our goal for the next Olympic games is to win 12 medals, and we will provide the best conditions for that. The state will do everything to help - the president emphasized in his introductory speech.
- We are helping as much as we can, we can't fight the other countries, but as you are fighting for your country, we will help you as much as we can - Vucic said and then addressed Ivana Spanovic.
- Ivana, we never had an athlete who is a Champion of the world. We never won a single gold medal and I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart. I apologize Ivana, I missed some news about you these days.
- It is important to me that Reese was defeated, everything else is less important. Prepare for all the other competitions, that means a lot to you, and to us - the president of Serbia said.
Ivana Spanovic brought the president Vucic her framed picture with a signature and the world gold, and the leader of Serbia added:
- We are inviting all the people to come to the Athletic Hall at 12 to welcome Ivana - the president Vucic said and the minister Udovicic added that Ivana went out of that Hall to Birmingham to get the gold.
After our Ivana Spanovic, the shooter Zorana Arunovic handed the president Vucic the jersey of the shooters.
Vucic said that he hopes that the archers and shooters will get their own hall by 2020.
- Can we speed that up - he asked Udovicic, and then he asked are we more successful with a gun or a rifle?
Minister of Youth and Sports Vanja Udovicic, President of the Olympic Committee of Serbia Bozidar Maljkovic, the president of the Athletic and Shooting Federation Veselin Jevrosimovic and Nenad Putnik also attended the reception in the Presidency of Serbia.
At the European championship in Djer, Serbia won six medals with seniors and one in junior competition.
Silver medals were won by: Zorana Arunovic (pistol), Andrea Arsovic and Milutin Stefanovic (mixed rifle), Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec (mix with pistol) and Damir Mikec, Dimitrije Grgic, Dusko Petrov (men's team with a pistol).
Bronze medals were won by: Bobana Velickovic (pistol), Zorana Arunovic, Bobana Velickovic, Jelena Tomic (women's team with a pistol) and junior Marija Malic (rifle).