Dubai: Talented swimmer Velimir Stjepanovic’s time is still to come, but, with the help of Dubai’s Hamilton Aquatics club, the Serbian hopes he can reach his sport’s pinnacle at the Rio Olympic Games next year.
The 21-year-old, who has been in the UAE since his parents moved out when he was just 17 weeks old, has been making waves since competing at London 2012 before his 18th birthday.
Belgrade-born Stjepanovic started swimming before he was six and, by the time he was 12, he had teamed up with Hamilton’s high performance coach Chris Tidey, who had just relocated to the UAE from Britain. What occurred after that was pure chemistry between coach and pupil, as Stjepanovic started dominating at major swimming competitions, mostly in Europe.
With a little over a year to go until Rio, Stjepanovic knows the odds are now stacked in his favour as he is stronger, older and wiser than he was in London, when he reached the 200-metre butterfly final and finished sixth in the race that saw South Africa’s Chad Le Clos dethrone American great Michael Phelps.
“My preparations for Rio commenced immediately after I returned from London,” Stjepanovic told Gulf News.
“An Olympic gold medal is the dream for any sportsperson and I am no different. The past three years have been spent doing anything and everything with the next Olympics on my mind. My time will come in Rio.”
He added: “The first thing I learnt is respect for my coach [Tidey]. He is a pivotal part of my ambitions to be an Olympic champion.
“What I got from my coach was a belief that I could achieve anything I wanted in the pool. He pushed me and I did well to listen to everything he told me.
Secret of success
“Loads of hard work inside and outside of the pool is the secret behind achieving at the highest level. Secondly, you’ve got to love what you do. That way, whatever hard work you put in is never taken as work, but sheer enjoyment.
“Another important thing I have understood over the years is that, while I may be competing alone in the pool, it is my team that is crucial to my success. I need to embrace them as they are all playing their part to ensure I achieve.”
Stjepanovic is currently in Kazan, Russia, for the Fina World Championships, where he will compete in the 100, 200 and 400-metre freestyle races, along with the 4x100 medley relay.
“Kazan is very much part of the plan that will help me for Rio. After this competition, I will continue with my preparations for my second Olympic Games,” Stjepanovic said.
“It’s a long and tough road to be the best. I have spent the past ten years chasing a dream. There is one more year to go, and I am sure I can turn this dream into a golden one.”
