Sport in Yugoslavia had a significant role in its culture and society. Team sports such as

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, basketball,

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

, volleyball and water polo had the biggest popularity. Of individual sports the most popular were tennis, athletics,

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

, swimming, table tennis, ski jumping and chess. Yugoslavia made its debut at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

in 1920. Until its break up in 1992, it competed in 16 Summer and 14 Winter Olympic games and won a total of 87 medals in various summer and winter sports. Yugoslavia hosted its first and the only Winter Olympic games in

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 Southeast A ...

in Sarajevo when

Jure Franko Jure Franko () (born 28 March 1962 in Nova Gorica) is a Slovenian- Yugoslav former alpine skier, best known for winning a giant slalom silver medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Jure Franko was born and raised in Nova Gorica ...

won country's first Winter Olympic medal, silver in alpine skiing.

Olympic Games

Yugoslavia for the first time participated at the 1920 Summer Olympic Games. Until its break up in 1992, country won a total of 83 medals, 26 gold, 29 silver and 28 bronze. The most medals are won in gymnastics, wrestling and water polo. Yugoslavia hosted the

1984 Winter Olympics The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games (Serbo-Croatian and Slovene: ''XIV. Zimske olimpijske igre''; Cyrillic: XIV Зимске олимпијске игре; mk, XIV Зимски олимписки игр ...

in Sarajevo when

won country's first Winter Olympic medal, silver in alpine skiing. Three more medals are won at Winter Games, all in alpine skiing and ski jumping.

Football

Football was the most popular sport in Yugoslavia. It came there in the time of Austria-Hungary late 19th century, mostly from Vienna, Budapest and Prague, and first football club was established in

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

in 1899. After the World War I

Yugoslav Football Federation The Football Association of Yugoslavia (FSJ) ( sr, Фудбалски савез Југославије, Fudbalski savez Jugoslavije, hr, Nogometni savez Jugoslavije; bs, Fudbalski savez Jugoslavije; sl, Nogometna zveza Jugoslavije; mk, Фуд ...

was formed in Kingdom of Yugoslavia and

Yugoslav Football Championship The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...

was played since 1923. The most successful clubs in the first period were those from

and Zagreb, BSK. Jugoslavija, Građanski,

HAŠK HAŠK ''(full name Hrvatski akademski športski klub, en, Croatian Academic Sports Club)'' was a Croatian football club established in Zagreb in 1903 which ceased operating in 1945. The club was one of the most successful sides in Zagreb and th ...

, Concordia, and Hajduk from Split. After World War II and Socialist Yugoslavia many new clubs were formed and new federal league was established to replace old championship. It soon became the most popular sport league in the country with average attendance usually over 10.000 spectators. The most successful clubs were known as the big four, Dinamo Zagreb,

Hajduk Split Hrvatski nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split () or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian professional football club based in Split, that competes in the Croatian First League, the top tier in Croatian football. Since 1979, t ...

, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade. Dinamo won

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European Association football, football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecess ...

in 1967, Red Star won

European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

in 1991, while Partizan were runners-up of the same competition in 1966.

Yugoslavia national football team The Yugoslavia national football team; hr, Jugoslavenska nogometna reprezentacija; sl, Jugoslovanska nogometna reprezentanca; mk, Фудбалска репрезентација на Југославија, Fudbalska reprezentacija na Jugosl ...

was formed in 1920, when it participated at the Summer Olympics in Belgium. Yugoslavia became a force in European and World football, being regular participant at European Championships and World Cups. They finished third in

1930 World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930. FIFA, football's international governing body, selected Uruguay as host nati ...

and played in semi finals in 1962. They also played in semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1976, hosted in home cities of Belgrade and Zagreb.

Basketball

Basketball was another very popular sport in Yugoslavia. It developed after the World War II with the influence from Soviet Union, which later became a fierce rival. Yugoslavia national basketball team developed into one of the world's best teams, becoming three times World Champions and five times European Champions. Yugoslav First Federal Basketball League was also very strong and the most successful teams were Crvena Zvezda with 12 and Olimpija, Zadar and

Jugoplastika Košarkaški klub Split ( en, Split Basketball Club), commonly referred to as KK Split or simply Split, is a men's professional basketball club based in Split, Croatia. The club competes in the ABA League and the Croatian League. History Th ...

with 6 titles each. Yugoslav Basketball Cup was introduced in 1959 and the best club there was

Cibona Košarkaški klub Cibona, commonly referred to as Cibona Zagreb or simply Cibona, is a men's professional basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Adriatic Basketball Association, and competes ...

with 8 titles.

Partizan Partizan may refer to: Sport * JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs: **AK Partizan, athletics ** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling ** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo **FK Partizan, association fo ...

and Bosna all won European Champions Cup. Yugoslavia hosted World Championship in 1970 and Eurobasket in 1975 and 1989.

Handball

Handball had a long tradition in Yugoslavia. Women's

Czech handball Czech handball (Czech: ''česká házená'', also known as ''národní házená'' – ''national handball'') is an outdoor ball game which was created in 1905 in Prague and is still played today. This sport is very similar to team handball. ...

with its own leagues was played since 1920 until the late 1930s. In northern parts of the country field handball was introduced in 1929, but found bigger popularity only after the World War II. It was later replaced by team handball, which became one of the most popular team sports in the country. Yugoslavia national handball team became two times Olympic and one time World Champions.

Yugoslav Handball Championship The Yugoslav Handball Championship was the highest level competition in men's team handball in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, played regularly for almost four decades between 1953 and 1992, before being abandoned due to the breakup ...

was played from 1953 and the most successful club was

Partizan Bjelovar RK Bjelovar (Rukometni Klub Bjelovar) is a team handball club from Bjelovar, Croatia formed in 1955. The club currently competes in the Croatian Second League of Handball (North) and the Croatian Handball Cup. During Communist Yugoslavia, the cl ...

with 9 titles, followed by

Borac Banja Luka Fudbalski klub Borac Banja Luka (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Бopaц Бања Лука, ) is a Bosnian professional association football club, based in the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the major part of th ...

and Metaloplastika Šabac with 7 titles each. Those clubs were also champions of European Champions Cup, Partizan one time, Metaloplastika two times and Borac one time.

Water polo

Water polo was the most successful Yugoslavian team sport at the Olympic games. National team was a total of three times Olympic champion (in 1968, 1984 and 1988) and four times runner-up (in 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980). They were also twice World champions, once European champions and two times champions of water polo World cup. Yugoslavian clubs were also very successful at the European competitions. Water polo teams from Yugoslavia won thirteen times Champions League and six times Cup Winners' Cup. Among the most notable teams are VK Partizan, HAVK Mladost and

VK Jug Dubrovnik Vaterpolski klub Jug ( en, Jug Water Polo Club) is a professional water polo club based in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The club was established in 1923 as part of sports society "JUG". As of the 2021–22 season, VK Jug competes in the Croatian League, ...

. Yugoslav Water Polo Championship was held between 1921 and 1991, Cup between 1972 and 1991 and Winter Championship between 1959 and 1972. Yugoslavia hosted World Championship in 1973 in

, European Championship in 1981 in Split and World Cup in 1979 in Belgrade and

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

Tennis

Mima Jaušovec won the first Yugoslavian Grand Slam,

French Open The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and ven ...

in 1977. The most successful Yugoslavian tennis player is Monica Seles, former world number one player. In 1990, at the age of 16, Seles became the youngest-ever

champion. In her rich career, she won total of 9 Grand Slam singles titles, making her one of the best female players ever.

Sabrina Goleš Sabrina Goleš (born 3 June 1965) is a former Croatian tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. Biography Sabrina Goleš was ranked no. 3 among juniors in the world in 1983 (in the juniors, she won the Italian Open and Rolex Port Washing ...

won silver medal at the

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 secon ...

when the tennis was demonstration sport.

Yugoslavia Fed Cup team The Yugoslavia Fed Cup team represented Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia in Fed Cup tennis competition and was governed by the Yugoslav Tennis Association. With the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the team no longer exists. His ...

reached the semi-finals in

. The most notable Yugoslavian male tennis players are Željko Franulović,

Nikola Pilić Nikola "Niki" Pilić (born 27 August 1939) is a Croatian former professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. He was one of the Handsome Eight. Pilić was ranked world No. 6 in January 1968 and world No. 7 for 1967 by Lance Tinga ...

, Slobodan Živojinović, Dragutin Mitić,

Boro Jovanović Boro Jovanović (born 21 October 1939) is a former Yugoslav tennis player. Jovanović was runner-up in the 1962 Wimbledon doubles tournament with Nikola Pilić, and quarter-finalist in the 1968 Wimbledon doubles tournament. In singles, Jovanovi ...

, Franjo Punčec,

Nikola Špear Nikola "Nikki" Špear ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Шпеар; 22 February 1944 – 2 December 2017) was a Yugoslavian international tennis player. Špear won the senior championship of Yugoslavia 1968, 1972, 1973 and 1975. He also organised tennis ev ...

, Josip Palada,

Goran Prpić Goran Prpić (born 4 May 1964) is a Croatian tennis coach and former professional tennis player, who played for SFR Yugoslavia and Croatia. Biography Prpić was born in Zagreb, at the time in SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia. He turned professional ...

and Goran Ivanišević.

Yugoslavia Davis Cup team The Yugoslavia men's national tennis team competed from 1927 to 2003 and represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (up to 1929 known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) from 1927 to 1939, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (up to 1 ...

reached three times semi finals: in 1988, 1989 and 1991. Yugoslavia won

1991 Hopman Cup The 1991 Hopman Cup was the third edition of the Hopman Cup, an international mixed teams tournament played at the Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth, Western Australia. The event was held from 27 December 1990 through 4 January 1991. Twelv ...

with Monica Seles and

in the team and World Team Cup in 1990 when Goran Ivanišević,

and Slobodan Živojinović represented country.

Athletics

Yugoslavia won two Olympic medals in athletics.

Ivan Gubijan Ivan Gubijan (14 June 1923 – 4 January 2009) was a Yugoslav hammer thrower. He competed in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics and placed second and ninth, respectively. He is credited with introducing the four-turn throwing technique, which is widel ...

won a silver medal at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

in London in hammer throw and Franjo Mihalić won a silver medal at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. Yugoslavian athletes never won a medal at the World Championships. The biggest success achieved Yugoslavian relay at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo when

Dejan Jovković Dejan Jovković ( sr-cyr, Дејан Јовковић; born 23 July 1968) is a Serbian former sprinter. He competed in the men's 200 metres at the 1992 Summer Olympics as an Independent Olympic Participant Independent or Independents may refe ...

Nenad Đurović Nenad Đurović ( Cyrillic: Ненад Ђуровић; born 17 January 1986) is a Montenegrin retired football defender who mostly played for Sutjeska Nikšić. Club career The first club for which he played for was FK Sutjeska Nikšić from ...

Ismail Mačev Ismail Mačev ( Macedonian: Исмаил Мачев; 3 January 1960 – 21 January 2019) was a Macedonian sprinter who competed for Yugoslavia in the 400 metres. He took part in the 1988 Summer Olympics as well as two World Championships. In a ...

and Slobodan Branković won fourth place. At the

European Championships The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...

Yugoslavian athletes won 15 medals, 6 of them gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals. The most notable athlete is

Vera Nikolić Vera Nikolić (Serbian Cyrillic: Вера Николић; 23 September 1948 – 28 June 2021) was a Serbian middle-distance runner, who competed at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, and later coach. She had her best achievements in the 800 m event, ...

, two times European champion and once bronze medalist in 800m. Nikolić is also a former world record holder in 800m. The rest five gold medals are won by:

Luciano Sušanj Luciano Sušanj (born November 10, 1948) is a Croatian politician, sports worker and former track athlete who competed for Yugoslavia. Sušanj was successful in international competition over 400 and 800 meters, but is best known for winning the 80 ...

in 800m, Miloš Srejović in triple jump,

Snežana Pajkić Snežana Pajkić-Jolović (born September 23, 1970 in Ćuprija, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia) is a former middle distance runner from Serbia. She won the gold medal for Yugoslavia in the women's 1500 metres at the 1990 European Athletics Championships i ...

in 1500m and Dragutin Topić in high jump.

Nenad Stekić Nenad Stekić ( sr-Cyrl, Ненад Стекић; 7 March 1951 – 18 July 2021Petar Šegedin in 3000 metres steeplechase,

Stanko Lorger Stanko Lorger (14 February 1931 – 25 April 2014) was a Yugoslav hurdler who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics, in the 1956 Summer Olympics, and in the 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), ...

in 110m hurdles, Olga Gere and Biljana Petrović in high jump. Besides Vera Nikolić, bronze medalists were Nataša Urbančič in javelin throw and

Borut Bilač Borut Bilač (born 14 April 1965 in Postojna) is a retired Slovenian long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. ...

in long jump. At the

European Indoor Championships The European Indoor Championships was a men's tennis tournament played in Berlin, Germany. The event was played as part of the ATP Tour in 1990 and 1991. It was played on indoor carpet courts. Finals Singles Doubles See also * Berlin Open ...

Yugoslavian athletes were very successful. They won total of 26 medals, 6 gold, 7 silver and 13 bronze. Some of notable athletes who competed at these championships are:

Jelica Pavličić Jelica Pavličić-Štefančić (born 4 February 1954) is a retired Croatian sprinter. She competed for Yugoslavia in the women's 400 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Eco ...

, Zlatan Saračević, Vladimir Milić, Dragan Zdravković,

Josip Alebić Josip Alebić (also known as Jozo or Joško; 7 January 1947 – 8 March 2021)Premin ...

, Jože Međumurac, Milovan Savić,

Ivan Ivančić Ivan Ivančić (6 December 1937 – 28 August 2014) was a Croatian athletics coach and shot putter who represented Yugoslavia. He was the gold medalist in the 1975 Mediterranean Games, as well as a multiple national champion and record holder. As ...

Jovan Lazarević Jovan Lazarević ( sr, Јован Лазаревић, born 3 May 1952) is a retired shot putter who represented SFR Yugoslavia. He won the bronze medal at the 1982 European Indoor Championships, the gold medal at the 1983 Mediterranean Games and ...

Slobodanka Čolović Slobodanka Čolović-Maričić (born 10 January 1965 in Čepin) is a retired Yugoslavian middle-distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres. She represented Yugoslavia at the 1988 Summer Olympics finishing fourth, as well as one outdoor a ...

... Yugoslavian athletes won medals in various disciplines at the

Mediterranean Games The Mediterranean Games is a multi-sport event organised by the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM). It is held every four years among athletes from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Asia and Europe. The fir ...

and Summer Universiade. Yugoslavia hosted European Athletics Championships in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...

and in

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

in Split. Yugoslavia was also the host of the

1969 European Indoor Games The 1969 European Indoor Games were held between 8–9 March 1969 in Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia (present-day Serbia). In 1970 the European Indoor Games were replaced by the European Athletics Indoor Championships. The track used for the c ...

, competition who is just one year later renames in European Indoor Championships.

was two times the host of men's edition of the European Champion Clubs Cup. Athletics club Red Star Belgrade won men's competition in 1989, in 1981 took second place and in 1976 third while women's team was second in 1989 and third in 1988. Athletics club Zajednica ZA was second in women's edition in 1985, and AC Slavonija was third in 1986.

Swimming

Olympics

Đurđica Bjedov Đurđa "Đurđica" Bjedov (born 5 April 1947) is a retired Croatian swimmer and the only Yugoslav Olympic champion in swimming. Bjedov never won a medal at major international competitions, except for the 1968 Olympics, where she finished fir ...

is the only Yugoslavian swimmer to win an Olympic medal. At the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

in Mexico City she became Olympic champion in 100m breaststroke and Olympic runner up in 200m breaststroke. Other notable Yugoslavian swimmers competed at Olympics include:

Nenad Miloš Nenad Miloš (born 13 May 1955 Zadar, Croatia) is a Serbia i Croatian former swimmer who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics, in the 1976 Summer Olympics, and in the 1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летн ...

, Hrvoje Barić, Tibor Rezmanj,

Vlado Brinovec Vladimir “Vlado” Brinovec (16 June 1941 – August 2006)Janez Kocmur, Milan Jeger, Mihovil Dorčić, Anton Nardeli, Đuro Radan, Veljko Rogošić,

Ana Boban Ana Boban (born 12 December 1947 in Split) is a former Croatian sports swimmer. She competed for the former Yugoslavia at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in th ...

Predrag Miloš Predrag Miloš (born 13 May 1955) is a Serbian former swimmer who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural ...

Aleksandar Pavličević Aleksandar Pavličević (born 21 February 1950) is a Yugoslav former swimmer. He competed in the men's 100 metre butterfly at the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and com ...

, Višnja Petković,

Igor Majcen Igor Majcen (born August 24, 1969 in Ljubljana) is a retired male freestyle swimmer from Slovenia. He is a three-time Olympian, making his debut in 1988 for FR Yugoslavia. His best Olympic result was finishing in sixth place in the men's 1500 ...

, Nace Majcen...

FINA World Championships

Yugoslavia won two (2) medals at the FINA World Championships. Both medals were won by the Petrič brothers, Borut and

Darjan Petrič Darjan Petrič (born August 24, 1964 in Kranj, Slovenia) is a former SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslav freestyle swimming, freestyle swimmer of Slovenia, Slovene ethnicity, who represented Yugoslavia in three consecutive Summer Olympics, start ...

, in 1500m freestyle. Yugoslavia hosted the First FINA World Championship in swimming in

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

European Championships

Yugoslavian swimmers won seventeen medals at the

, one gold, seven silver and nine bronze medals. Besides brothers Petrič, European medalists were:

Anton Cerer Anton M. Cerer (October 30, 1916 – May 25, 2006) was the first Slovenian or Yugoslavian swimmer to win a European medal. His career was interrupted by World War II, yet he competed at the Summer Olympics in 1936 and 1948 and European championsh ...

, Mirjana Šegrt,

Marijan Stipetić Marijan Stipetić (also Mariyan or Marjan as well as the nickname Bibi; 8 December 1930 – 8 April 2011) was a Croatian swimmer who won two bronze medals at the European Championships of 1947 and 1950 for SFR Yugoslavia. He competed in the 4×200 ...

Boris Škanata Boris Škanata (18 May 1927 – 20 October 1962) was a Yugoslav swimmer who won a bronze medal in the 100 m backstroke at the 1950 European Aquatics Championships. He finished seventh in the same event at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Death Škanata ...

, Esa Ligorio, Matijaž Koželj, Branko Vidović... Split hosted 1981 European Championship.

Alpine skiing

Yugoslavia won its first medal at the Winter Olympic Games in alpine skiing. At the

that were held in Sarajevo,

won a silver medal in giant slalom. Four years later, at the Olympic Games in Calgary,

Mateja Svet Mateja Svet (); born 16 August 1968) is a former Slovenian alpine skier, who competed for Yugoslavia from 1984 to 1990. Biography Svet was born in Ljubljana, Socialist Republic of Slovenia, Yugoslavia. Making her first appearance in the 1983/1 ...

also won a silver medal in the giant slalom.

was the only alpine skier from Yugoslavia, who won a gold medal at the World Championships. At the World Championships, she won a total of five medals, one gold, one silver and three bronze in the three disciplines: slalom, giant slalom and super giant slalom. Bojan Križaj was a world runner-up in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

. in the slalom. That same year,

Boris Strel Boris Strel (20 October 1959 – 28 March 2013) was a Slovenian alpine skier. He was born in Žiri, Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia). In December 1981, Strel took the only Slovenian top-level win in men's giant slalom in the 1982 Alpine Skiin ...

won the bronze medal in the giant slalom. Tomaž Čižman won the bronze medal in super G at the World Championship in 1989 and

Nataša Bokal Nataša Bokal (born 9 May 1967) is a retired Slovenian alpine skier Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemar ...

won the silver in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

in the slalom. Mateja Svet was the winner of the World Cup giant slalom 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 Australian ...

Rok Petrovič Rok Petrovič (5 February 1966 – 16 September 1993) was a Yugoslav and Slovenian alpine skier. Petrovič was born in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, the son of Zdenka Steiner and Krešimir Petrović, a well known sports psychologist of Croatian o ...

was the slalom winner in

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

. Bojan Križaj repeated his success in

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

. Yugoslavia organized World Cup races in Kranjska Gora,

Maribor Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...

and Sarajevo.

Cross-country skiing

Yugoslavia competed in cross-country skiing at the every Olympic games except in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

. Country's best finish was in relay, 9th place in both, men's and women's, while the best individual finish was achieved in

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

, 10th place by Franc Smolej. Yugoslavia hosted World Cup races in Bohinj and Sarajevo.

Ski jumping

Ski jumping was a very popular individual sport in Yugoslavia.

Matjaž Debelak Matjaž Debelak (born 27 August 1965, in Braslovče) is a Slovenian former ski jumper who competed for Yugoslavia from 1986 to 1990. His best-known successes were at the 1988 Winter Olympics, where he earned two medals with a silver in the tea ...

won a bronze medal in individual large hill at the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts� ...

s as well as silver medal in team large hill along with

Miran Tepeš Miran Tepeš (born 25 April 1961) is a Slovenian former ski jumper and current ski jumping official who competed for Yugoslavia from 1979 to 1992. He won a silver medal in the team large hill competition at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Hi ...

, Primož Ulaga and Matjaž Zupan.

Franci Petek Franci Petek (born 15 June 1971) is a Slovenian former ski jumper and geographer who represented Yugoslavia during his ski jumping career. Career At the 1991 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme, Petek won a gold medal for Yugosla ...

became World champion in 1991. Other notable ski jumpers are

Bogdan Norčič Bogdan Norčič (19 September 1953, Kranj – 4 April 2004, Cerklje na Gorenjskem) was a Yugoslavian ski jumper of Slovene ethnicity. He competed at the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics. Career On 20 March 1977, Norčič crashed during an attempt at ...

, Danilo Pudgar,

Rajko Lotrič Rajko Lotrič (born 20 August 1962) is a Yugoslavian former ski jumper. He competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known ...

, Ludvik Zajc

Vasja Bajc Vasja Bajc (born 19 January 1962) is a Slovenian ski jumping coach and former ski jumper who competed from 1979 to 1988, during which time he represented Yugoslavia. At World Cup level his best individual finishes were fifth in Planica on 21 Mar ...

Janez Polda Janez Polda (25 May 1924 in Mojstrana – 20 March 1964) was a Yugoslavian between ski jumper who competed between 1948 and 1956. Career He finished 41st in the individual large hill at the 1948 Winter Olympics in Sankt Moritz, tied for 16th at ...

... Yugoslavia hosted World Cup races in Planica.

Ice hockey

Yugoslavia national ice hockey team five times competed at the Winter Olympic Games. The best placement was achieved in

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

when Yugoslavia took ninth place. At the World Championships Yugoslavia competed twenty-nine times. In

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

team came eighth which is the best Yugoslavian result at the World Championships. Yugoslavian team also competed three times at the

. In 1968 came seventh. Team's top scorer is Zvone Šuvak, while

Edo Hafner Eduard Hafner (born January 19, 1955, in Jesenice, Yugoslavia)Profile owww.hkjesenice.si/ref> is a retired Slovenian professional ice hockey player. Career Club career Hafner began his career with HK Kranjska Gora in the Yugoslav Ice Hockey Lea ...

made the most appearances. Yugoslavia hosted 1966 World Championship in Ljubljana. Only six teams managed to win Yugoslav Ice Hockey League. The most successful team is Jesenice with 23 titles, followed by Olimpija with 13,

with 7, Medveščak with 3, Mladost with 2 and SD Zagreb with 1, while domestic cup won only 4 teams. Jesenice holds records with 8 titles. Medveščak, Olimpija and Partizan are other three winners of national cup.

Figure skating

Sanda Dubravčić Sanda Dubravčić-Šimunjak (born 24 August 1964) is a Croatian physician and former figure skater who competed internationally for Yugoslavia. She is the 1981 European silver medalist. Personal life Sanda Dubravčić was born on 24 August 1964 ...

won a silver medal at the 1981 European Championship. At the

she was the final Olympic torchbearer and won 10th place. Yugoslavia hosted

1970 World Figure Skating Championships The 1970 World Figure Skating Championships were held at the Hala Tivoli in Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia from March 3 to 8. At the event, sanctioned by the International Skating Union, medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' s ...

and 4 times European Championship:

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

in Ljubljana,

and

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

in Zagreb and

in Sarajevo.

References

{{commons category, Sports in Yugoslavia