Damir Mikec and Zorana Arunovic made history at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris by winning Serbia's first gold medal of the games. Competing in the 10-meter air pistol mixed team event, the pair faced fierce competition from TĂĽrkiye's Yusuf Dikec and Sevval Ilayda Tarhan.
In a thrilling final that saw the Serbian duo overcome a challenging start, Mikec and Arunovic were trailing 8-2 before mounting an impressive comeback to clinch the gold with a score of 16-14. This victory marks a significant achievement for Serbia, especially considering their fourth-place finish in the same event at the Tokyo 2021 Games.
\"Yesterday we won a medal. It's like, you know, you won it, but now when you see this (celebrating spectators), this is great,\" Arunovic shared during an interview with CGTN Sports Scene's Jiang Mengxi. Mikec added, \"It's my fifth Olympics. It's her fourth Olympics. This was our goal and it's here.\"
With over two decades of dedication to the sport, Mikec and Arunovic's hard work paid off. Celebrating their triumph, Mikec exclaimed with joy, lying on the ground in excitement. Arunovic noted, \"the emotions were on the ground.\"
The Serbian athletes also took a moment to acknowledge their respect for their Chinese counterparts, referring to them as \"shooting machinery\" for their impressive haul of three golds and two silvers. Arunovic mentioned their friendship with several Chinese shooters and even shared that they've learned some Chinese phrases like \"ni hao piao liang\" (you're pretty), \"zao shang hao\" (good morning), and \"she ji\" (shooting).
Reference(s):
Serbian gold medalists praise Chinese shooters at 2024 Summer Olympics
cgtn.com
