Don’t Play With Me

Avtor:
Datum: 25. 06. 2003
Martial arts have traditionally been a very popular sport in Slovenia, but more so in terms of recreational activities; sporting success has never been a priority.
It has changed, however, when Raša Sraka and Petra Nareks became European judo champions in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Lucija Polavder won the bronze medal, making Slovenia the eighth most successful national team out of 40 participating countries.
Even the most successful teams, such as Russia, Spain and France were not far away in terms of the number of medals, while some other ex-super powers (Holland, Belgium) even lagged behind. “I can’t believe what I have achieved. It feels like a dream,” said the ecstatic Sraka who had had no big hopes prior to the championship. “I had been injured and the best I could hope for was probably the fifth place. I wasn’t even thinking about a medal,” said the new European champion.
However, the coach Marjan Fabjan claims that this has only been the beginning and an interim goal on the way to the World championship (to be held in Osaka, Japan, from September 11 to 14), where five most successful athletes will be already guaranteed participation in the Olympic games next year.
The success was marred by a doping affair, when Sašo Jereb, also a favourite to win a medal, failed a random anti-doping test after a tournament in Warszaw. The results were revealed only hours before he was scheduled to compete in Düsseldorf. It was canabis that had been found in his blood. “I didn’t smoke marijuana, I was only close to the place where people smoked it,” said the young athlete. The affair came only weeks after tests showed that the skier Primož Skerbinek had also been taking banned substances, although the member of the downhill team denies that.