Croatia’s Record-Breaking Rio Olympics

Sandra Perković (photo credit: Igor Kralj/PIXSELL) Sinković brothers, Šime Fantela & Igor Marenić (Reuters)

The Olympic Games are officially over for another 4 years and Croatia will remember the Rio Olympics for many reasons…

Croatia had its highest ever medal tally at an Olympic Games in Rio after high jumper Blanka Vlašić secured bronze in the final Croatian appearance at the Games on Saturday to take the tally to 10 medals. The combined 10 medals this year takes Croatia’s haul past the previous best of 6 won at London in 2012. Croatia won 5 gold medals at Rio, 2 more than which the team won at the London Olympics.

Sara Kolak wins the women’s javelin final (photo: Reuters/Rio2016)

Four years ago discus thrower Sandra Perković, shooter Giovanni Cernogoraz and the men’s water polo team all won gold, whilst in Rio Perković again, shooter Josip Glasnović, rowers Valent and Martin Sinković, sailing pair Šime Fantela and Igor Marenić and javelin thrower Sara Kolak all took gold to help Croatia rank 17th in the world on the medal table.

Croatia’s performance was an impressive one for a nation of only 4.2 million people, leaving bigger nations like Canada, Greece, Argentina, Sweden, Poland and Turkey in their wake on the final medal table. When looking how Europe performed in Rio, Croatia finished 9th.

Croatia will also remember Rio for the way 21-year-old Sara Kolak shocked the javelin world to win gold. Kolak and Perković’s two athletic gold medals ranked Croatia 7th in the world for athletic medals. A huge feat.

Sandra Perković won back to back golds (photo credit: Igor Kralj/PIXSELL)

The five gold medals ranked Croatia 3rd in the world for gold medals per capita. The Bahamas, with a population of 388,000, were number one thanks to Shaunae Miller’s gold in the women’s 400m. Jamaica were second with a population per gold medal of 546,000. Croatia were ranked third with a population per gold of 844,600.

Croatia 17th ranked in world on medal table

Croatia’s medals in Rio 

GOLD

Josip Glasnović (shooting)
Valent & Martin Sinković (rowing)
Šime Fantela & Igor Marenić (sailing)
Sara Kolak (javelin)
Sandra Perković (discus)

SILVER

Men’s Water Polo
Damir Martin (rowing)
Tonči Stipanović (sailing)

BRONZE

Blanka Vlašić (high jump)
Filip Hrgoović (boxing)

Rio Olympics 2016 Medal Table – Europe

1. Great Britain – 27 Golds – 66 total medals
2. Russia – 18 – 54
3. Germany – 17 – 42
4. France – 9 – 41
5. Italy – 8 – 27
6. Netherlands – 8 – 19
7. Hungary – 8 – 15
8. Spain – 7 – 16
9. CROATIA – 5 – 10

Rio Olympics 2016 Gold Medal per Capita Table

1. Bahamas – 1 Gold – 388,000 (population per gold medal)
2. Jamaica – 6 Golds – 455,000
3. CROATIA – 5 Golds – 844,600
4. Fiji – 1 Gold – 892,000
5. New Zealand – 4 Golds – 1,137,000
6. Hungary – 8 Golds – 1,228,875
7. Bahrain – 1 Gold – 1,377,000
8. Kosovo – 1 Gold – 1,845,000
9. Georgia – 2 Golds – 1,858,000
10. Slovenia – 1 Gold – 2,064,000

Croatia 7th in the world on athletics medal table