Dubai: He prefers to keep his long-term goals a secret, much to the liking of his coach Chris Tidey, but you just sense that even at 18, Velimir Stjepanovic, the Dubai born Serbian swimmer nurtures a burning desire to emulate the feats of his more illustrious countryman Novak Djokovic.
Stjepanovic has just begun an intense training regime, designed specifically to help him reach peak condition in time for the London Olympics next year having earmarked the 200metre butterfly and the 100 metre and 400metre freestyle categories as his chosen events. And he doesn't step into the pool without remembering five simple, yet inspiring words Djokovic uttered to him following a brief meeting with the current men's world number one player during the Dubai Tennis Championship this year. "After the Dubai Open when he beat [Roger] Federer, I did get three pictures and 30 seconds to talk to him," Stjepanovic recalled in an interview to XPRESS. "It's not much but..he walked past me, and then he came back and that meant a lot to me just generally. And when he was about to leave he said ‘See you at the Olympics'. That obviously takes a big toll and helps me a lot in training."
Following an enriching experience at the World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai in July, the talented teen grabbed some much needed rest but has now resumed his daily grind under Tidey, his coach of six years. And Stjepanovic says it is the rapid progress he has made in this period that has helped him truly understand his potential. "When I first started with Chris, I didn't expect to be where I am now. It wasn't until 2008 when I went to the British Nationals where I won four gold medals, that was when I started to see I'm getting a lot better very quickly," he said. "Right now, I think I am currently first for 100metre freestyle in the world for my age which is a huge achievement. And I think that is showing that I have the ability and that will help my determination obviously to try harder."
Tidey says it is premature to speculate if his ward can reach the same heights as Djokovic but believes Stjepanovic can certainly become an iconic figure not just for Serbia but for the Emirates as well. "Within Serbia, he's already a name within Serbian sport. He was the junior sports personality of the year in Serbia last year," Tidey said. "In terms of a senior stage, I think it's going to be a long time before he can become bigger than someone like Novak Djokovic.
"At the moment we've set certain goals that at the moment we'll probably keep to ourselves. But if we do get close to those goals, it will be something quite big, not just for Serbia but for Dubai and the UAE as well, because at the end of the day, he's a product of the UAE."
That fact is not lost upon Stjepanovic who despite his busy schedule takes time out to assist his coach in training young swimmers at Hamilton Aquatics, a swim club in Dubai run by Tidey. "There are two Emirati kids, Alia and Abdullah that I coach sometimes. They show that they want to learn. Alia is one of the very few female [Emirati] swimmers in Dubai. That I think is a big problem which can get better."
Tidey added: "Velimir understands that he's got a responsibility to Dubai to help out. It's not just about him going to the Olympics, there's a wider community that does need help. So he helps me out."
Returning to his preparations for London, the former Jumeirah College student has opted to take a gap year to devote more time to his training and has been joined by Serbian teammate Stefan Sorak who is also vying for a spot on the Olympic squad. "[Stefan's] been here three times in two years and it really does help having someone constantly next to you at training, pushing you on," said Stjepanovic.
Stjepanovic's typical day:
- 4.45am: Wake up, eat a small snack
- 5.30-7.30am: Training in the pool, normally 7-8,000m coached by Chris Tidey
- 7.30-8.30am: Snack followed by body weight exercise
- 8.30-12.30pm: Full breakfast then rest time
- 12.30pm: Lunch time - at least 1500 calories
- 1.30-2.30pm: Gym session with Mike Lee Hamilton (strength and conditioning coach)
- 2.30-5.30pm: Snack followed by rest time
- 5.30-6.30pm: Stretching and mobility
- 6.30-8.30pm: Training in the pool, normally 7-8,000m coached by Chris Tidey
- 9pm: Dinner time - at least 2000 calories, mainly carbohydrates
- 10pm: Bedtime
Bolt from the Blue
Despite his love for swimming, Velimir Stjepanovic does not look to the waters when it comes to drawing inspiration from a great athlete. Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt is his preferred choice. And the young Serbian was as gutted as Bolt himself when the world's fastest man was denied the opportunity to defend his 100metre crown at the ongoing World Championships in Daegu after getting himself disqualified for the final due to a false start."I watched the race. It was quite upsetting to see but you know it happens even to the best of the athletes," said Stjepanovic. "Still the way he presents himself, it may seem like he's joking around but really I think he's quite focused and that's his way of getting into the zone."
