Croatia wins historic medals in World Games debut for freediving

Vanja Peles (Private album)

Croatia has achieved a historic sporting milestone at the World Games in Chengdu, one of the largest multisport events in the world.

More than 5,000 athletes from across the globe took part, with Croatia represented in the water sports by freedivers Mirela Kardasevic and Vanja Peles, and finswimmer Dora Bassi.

To qualify for this prestigious event, athletes needed to rank among the top ten in the world in their disciplines.

This meant more than a year and a half of intense qualification competitions, top results, and maintaining world class performance.

On the opening day, in the dynamic no fins discipline (DNF), Vanja Peles claimed a bronze medal, while Mirela Kardasevic narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth.

The following day, in dynamic with monofin (DYN), Kardasevic took bronze and Peles placed sixth.

“In such tough competition it is always special to stand on the podium. The result was perhaps not my absolute best, but with a bit of luck and a lot of effort I earned a bronze medal that means a great deal to me,” said Peles, thanking his family, friends, and club for their strong support.

Kardasevic said the Chengdu World Games was an unforgettable experience.

Mirela Kardašević (Private album)

“Representing Croatia at one of the biggest sporting events in the world is an incredible honour and privilege. Although I am not completely satisfied with my own results, the fact that we arrived only two days before the competition and performed under the strong effects of jet lag makes our achievements even more valuable.

I am especially pleased that we made history – this was the first time freediving was included at the World Games and Croatia won two medals straight away. I am proud of my teammates Vanja Peles and Dora Bassi – for a small country we had three competitors in water sports, in events where only the world’s top ten can qualify. This has given us all even greater motivation to push our limits and return stronger.”

In finswimming, Dora Bassi delivered a strong performance in the 400 metre Surface event (monofin), finishing an impressive sixth.

“The organisation was of a high standard and it was a pleasure to compete at such a top level event. Although 400sf is not my strongest event, I am very pleased with my performance and result,” Bassi said.

Dora Bassi (Private album)

These medals carry special significance as it was the first time in history that freediving was part of the World Games.