For all time: The words of Dragutin Topić that resonate

Exactly 34 years after he made his debut at the Planetary Championship in Tokyo, Angelina reached the bronze medal at the same place.

There was uncertainty for a long time about whether or not the medal would be around Topić's neck, and when it finally happened...

"It has never been more difficult in my life. She has been waiting for this since Paris last year. In Paris, she was supposed to be third, in the worst case, and then an injury happened... After that, we entered a limbo mentally. She sank completely. No one knows that, only I and our professional staff know that. She fought every day to find herself again. It took 370 days, now she has found herself,"  Dragutin Topić, once a great high jumper told "Sport Klub".

He then reflected on how difficult it is to be a father and a coach to his child at the same time. His words and the way he expressed them certainly deserve a place in the sports anthology of our country.

• Angelina in tears: "I did it!" PHOTO

For those who want to understand, it sounded like this.

"It's so hard to manage this... You have to be a coach. A coach has to be a mutt and say what a father would never say. That's what I told her a few training sessions ago. It wasn't an argument, but I told her what I thought and what I knew I had to say to her as a coach. As a father, I'm burning inside, because I don't have the right to say that as a father. It's very difficult for me, it's up to me. I wish there was a coach around who can manage, I don't see him now... She is great athlete, I feel it's time to be in the shadows, to sit in the stands and drink beer because - it's very difficult to work with someone you love more than yourself, to whom you have to give everything... Whoever trained his child, he will understand... This is not normal! I did what was up to me for my family and for her, now she can go on alone, and if she wants, dad is always there," added an emotional Topić.

However, there is still at least a small regret despite the medal.

"I'm very happy that she's third, and on the other hand, I think... Actually, I know she was ready to jump 2.03. Whether it would have been gold, silver, bronze or fifth place, I don't know, but I'm sorry for that 2.03. It rained, and scattered our vision. She behaved very professionally. We knew it was going to rain, we emphasized that it was important to jump from the first...", Topić concluded.