Another successful Banja Luka Open organiziton is behind us.

In a battle between 44 swimming clubs from 11 European countries  lot of national and amazing 54 meeting records were broken.

The most exciting event for Greece representation  was  100m freestyle for women in the Saturday finals. Their competitor Niangkouara Nery Mantey has finished first 50m in time 25.20 and accomplished what every simmer is dreaming about- quaifying time for OI!

In the summary of two best results (FINA pionts) in male category the first place went to Damir Dugonjic from Slovenia with 1675 FINA points (100m breaststroke – 1:03.03 and 50m breaststroke – 29.18), while in the female category the first place went also to an Slovenian representative Vozel Tjasa with 1625 FINA points (100m breaststroke 1:10.38 and 200m breaststroke-2:34.64 ) .

When it comes to medal statistics, the most successful was Hungarian Countryside Selected with 49medals (19 gold, 17 silver and  13 bronze).

We would like to thank everyone for their contribution and to contgratulate swimmers on their great results.

See you next year at the Banja Luka Open 2013!

Dinko Jukic was born at 9th of January 1989 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. At the age of 11 he moved with his family to Wien, Austria.

He is an Austrian representative and his best disciplines are 200m and 400m medley and 200m butterfly.

Most important events  in his carrier:

-2008European Swimming Championships in Eidenhoven: 2nd place -200m medley, 3rd place- 200m butterfly;

-2008 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Rijeka: 1st place- 400m medley, 2nd place -200m butterfly;

-2008 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Manchester: 3rd place -400m medley;

-2009 European Short Course Swimming Championships Istanbul: 3rd place -200m butterfly;

-2012 European Short Course  Swimming Championships Eidenhoven: 1st place-200m butterfly, 3rd place-200m medley.

His biggest support is his sister Mirna Jukic, also successful swimmer, and his father and coach Zeljko Jukic.

Welcome Dinko!

Damir Dugonjic was born at 21st of February 2012 in Ravne na Koroskem, Slovenia. He is an Slovenian representative and also one of the worlds best breaststroke swimmers.

From 2007 till 2011 he swam for the USA at the University in Berkeley. At their 2010 National  Championships Dugonjic won the gold medal in the  100m breaststroke race.

He represented his native  country, Slovenia, at these events:

-European Junior Swimming Championships 2006 ( 2nd place)

-European Swimming Championships 2009 (in first 6)

-World Swimming Championships 2009 (in first 10)

-Olympic Games 2008 Bejing (semi-finals)

This is one more great breaststroke swimmer at our Championships. Welcome Damir!

Matjaz Markic  is an Solevenian representative born at January 12th 1983 in Kopar. He competes in 50m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke.

His international swimming carrier started in 2003 when he  participated for the first time at an  European Swimming Championships which were held in Dublin.  After that, he became well-known  and  represented his native country Slovenia at many big competitions:

-European Swimming Championships 2003,2004, 2005, 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010 (always made it to the first 10).

-World Swimming Championships 2004,2009,2011 (every time got to semi-finals).

-Olympic Games Bejing 2008

The biggest success in his carrier was winning the gold medal in the man’s 50m backstroke event at  the 2008 European Swimming Championships in Rijeka.

At the Banja Luka Open 2012 he will race against his big rival and also a great friend Emil Tahirovic,aslo an Slovenian representative.

Welcome Matjaz, we wish you to win in London as you did in Rijeka.

Emil Tahirovic was born at 30th of December 1979 in Inancna Gorica, Slovenia.

He is a memeber of the swimming club “Triglav ” from Kranj and also one of the best Slovenian representatives. First time in the big concurrence he competed at European Swimming Championships at 1998.

The most important competitions in his carrier were:

-Olympic Games at 2000 and 2004

-Mediterranean games at 2005 and 2009

-World Swimming Championships at 2003, 2005, 2007 and  2009

-European Swimming Championships at 1998, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

Emil is famous for his great swimming tehcnics and you can learn a lot from him which can be confirmed by coaches  because he was our guest in Banja Luka several times. He used to train and prepare here for some  big competitions.

His biggest love and support in life are her wife Aleksandra and his sun Tai.

Welcome Emil, we hope you will feel like at home in Banja Luka, again!

The star of this years Banja Luka Open  is our friend Nadja Higl.

She was born in Pancevo at 2nd of January 1987. In the early age she swam for the swimming club “Tamis” from  Pancevo. Her biggest support in the  swimming carrier were her brother Sebastijan Higl, which is also her trainer , and her father swimming referee Dragan along with her mother Snjezana.

In the 2003 she accomplished her first big results in swimming, when she participated for the first time at the European Junior Swimming Championships and made it to semi-finals at 200m breaststroke. She also participated at Olympic games in Bejing 2008.

The most succesful part of her carrier is the year of 2009:

-Two finals at the Mediterranean games in Pescara

-Two silver medals at summer Universiade in Belgrade

-Gold medal(200m breaststroke – 2:21,62) and semi-finals at Swimming World Championships in Rome

-Silver medal and semi-finals at Europe Championships in Istanbul

She continued her carrier with great results, and is one of the favorites in serbian representation for getting the  Olympic medal this year.

At the Banja Luka Open 2012, Nadja will promote swimming and healthy life in our city, which will be also the opportunity for young swimmers to meet their role model and to learn something from her.

Before every important race, Nadja used to listen to the song “Budjav lebac”   which is preformed by singing  group S.A.R.S . That song reminds her of bad conditions for training which used to give her strnght to win.

After winning the gold medal at World Swimming Championships in Rome 2009 , her father Dragan has tattooed her result on his head.

An interview with Olymps sport director Zeljko Panic about swimming in Bosnia and Herzegovina and about one of the most successfuull swimming meetings in Europe “Banja Luka Open 2012″ was published at 7th of April in the Swimming World Magazine.

The entire article you can read here: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/Commentary/30237.asp

From the left side: Joeri Verlinden (HOL), Milorad Cavic (SRB), Evgeny Korothyskin (RUS)

Dear Swim friends,

 Swimming Club ”OLYMP” Banja Luka is the organizer of 5^th International Swimming Championships ”Banja Luka Open 2012” which will be held from 05 ^th to 06 ^th of May 2012 at the new Indor Olympic swimming pool in Banja Luka with new start platforms Omega. The meeting is in LEN Calendar, and also qualifing event for London 2012.

This year we expect these swimmers to come to our Meeting: ADN Swim Project Team with more than 10 top level swimmers and many top swimmers from Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, France, Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Italy, Germany, Greece, Ciprus, Holland, Kenia, Russia, Romania, Bulgary and more than 400 competitors will participate at our Meeting too.

We kindly request to confirm your participation at the competition as soon as possible to our e-mail: olymp2002@gmail.com

 We would be very happy if swimmers from your Club come to Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina!

 We are looking forward to our meeting and remain with,

 Best regards

Željko Panić, director

SC ”Olymp”, Banja Luka

Ivan Lendjer, Milorad Cavic, Jason Dunford

This fascinating Event will be remembered.

From organization, sponsors, volontaires to off course all participants everything all together was one big success!

As many people thought, Banja Luka Open 2011 was much better then last year. There were 111 new Banja Luka Open records, few Bosnia and Herzegovina records and one record of Bulgaria and one of Slovenia, which shows how big and serious this Event actually was.

PK Olymp wants to thank everyone who helped making Banja Luka Open 2011  memorable.

Our next goul is 5th International Swimming Championships “Banja Luka Open 2012″ and we feel very enthusiastic and ready to start planing it and figuring how to make it better then this one!

Yesterday(Saturday, 28th of May), first day of one of the best swimming Events in Europe was successfully finished. Little less then 500 competitors from 65clubs from 15 countries participated and in the morning qualifications there were a lot of CR, and also lot of swimmers accomplished qualification time for 14th FINA World Swimming Championships 2011 Shanghai and Olympic Games London 2012.

We want to emphasize great result that Milorad Cavic acomplished at 50m butterfly(1st place, 23.96) which is better then the result he accomplished at last years Banja Luka Open 2010. Ivan Lendjer (SRB) finished the same discipline second with a result 24.11.

Today is the second day of competition and we are expecting more great results.