Minister Kotromanović congratulates silver sailing medalists

“Dear Šime and Igor,  on behalf of the members of the Croatian Armed Forces and of the Ministry of Defence and on my personal behalf, I am congratulating you on a new success of yours, the defended  vice world champions title. The six world medals are a proof of your world-level quality and the quality of the sailing in Croatia, and your hard work and passion are a recipe for continuous top-level professional and personal successes . We are proud to have you in the Croatian Armed Forces, and wish you more great successes in your careers“, said Minister Kotromanović.

Šime Fantela and Igor Marenić joined the Croatian Armed Forces in 2011, pursuant to the Agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the Croatian Olympic Committee on Co-operation, Promotion and Development of Sport in the Republic of Croatia, and new Agreement of March 2015 introduced the top athlets into the reserve specialists of the Croatian Armed Forces. 

The Croatian sailing team Fantela and Marenić in six junior years won three world championship titles in the Class 470 (2003, 2005 and 2007), one silver (2004) and one bronze medal (2006). At the European level they won three medals (gold, 2005 and silver medals in 2002 and in 2006 respectively).

Competing in senior events the team won fifth place in the 2006 World Championships, and the sixth place in 2007.

In the 2008 Olympic Games held in China the team was among the youngest competitors and achieved the best Croatian olypmic score in the 470 Class, and they rounded the following year with the European and world chamipion titles respectively (Croatia’s second world champion title). They further reaped 11 medals in the seniors competition (fivr in the European and six in the world championships). Also, they ranked sixth in the 2012 Olympics in London.