Suspended gold medalist back in Belgrade
Milorad Čavić, the Serbian swimmer who won a gold medal and broke a European record, is in Belgrade.
Sunday, 23.03.2008.
15:07
Milorad Cavic, the Serbian swimmer who won a gold medal and broke a European record, is in Belgrade. Cavic arrived yesterday, after being suspended from the European Championships in Holland, where he was to take part in two more races, after winning the 50 meter butterfly event and setting new European records twice in two days. Suspended gold medalist back in Belgrade The organizers of the Eindhoven event decided to suspend the gold medalist and fine the Serbian Swimming Association because he wore a shirt reading Kosovo is Serbia at the medals ceremony, which they interpreted as political. Cavic told the crowd that gathered to meet him at the Belgrade airport last night that his gesture was not political. "I have recently realized that I am not only an athlete, but also an ambassador of this state. While I'm in a position to influence people, I must do that. I am aware of what is happening in Serbia and that people are not having an easy time of it, especially the Serbs in Kosovo." "Although I knew this in Eindhoven will be risky for my career, it was very important for me to send positive energy to Serbia and to simply say: Serbia, we must work together," the swimmer explained in a news conference. Later in the evening, Cavic met with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who gifted him a Serbian state flag, and said that the European champion, with his victory, raised our most precious truth high in front of the whole world: that Kosovo is Serbia. Kostunica also told Cavic that he wished the Serbian flag he received would be raised to the winner's podium in the upcoming Beijing Olympics. President Boris Tadic has also announced he will meet Cavic today. The decision to suspend Cavic has met with across-the-board condemnation from political parties, but also elevated the young swimmer to the status of a national icon, and caused outrage in the media. Kostunica, Cavic at the government headquarters last night (Tanjug)
Suspended gold medalist back in Belgrade
The organizers of the Eindhoven event decided to suspend the gold medalist and fine the Serbian Swimming Association because he wore a shirt reading Kosovo is Serbia at the medals ceremony, which they interpreted as political.Čavić told the crowd that gathered to meet him at the Belgrade airport last night that his gesture was not political.
"I have recently realized that I am not only an athlete, but also an ambassador of this state. While I'm in a position to influence people, I must do that. I am aware of what is happening in Serbia and that people are not having an easy time of it, especially the Serbs in Kosovo."
"Although I knew this in Eindhoven will be risky for my career, it was very important for me to send positive energy to Serbia and to simply say: Serbia, we must work together," the swimmer explained in a news conference.
Later in the evening, Čavić met with Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, who gifted him a Serbian state flag, and said that the European champion, with his victory, raised our most precious truth high in front of the whole world: that Kosovo is Serbia.
Koštunica also told Čavić that he wished the Serbian flag he received would be raised to the winner's podium in the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
President Boris Tadić has also announced he will meet Čavić today.
The decision to suspend Čavić has met with across-the-board condemnation from political parties, but also elevated the young swimmer to the status of a national icon, and caused outrage in the media.
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