Branko Zorko
Encyclopedia
Branko Zorko is a Croatia
n middle distance runner
, a notable 1500 m competitor in the 1990s. Probably his biggest accomplishment is winning the first international medal for the country of Croatia
, winning a bronze medal at the 1992 European Indoor Athletics Championships. His other major sports achievements include:
By the late 1990s, Zorko was increasingly suffering from injuries, which prompted him to turn to professional pacemaking
. As a pacemaker, he assisted in setting several world records, both indoors and outdoors, most notably for Haile Gebrselassie
.
Zorko ran 1500 m in five Summer Olympic Games
, from 1988 to 2004, making through to the semi-finals in 1992
and 1996
.
On July 11, 2005 at IAAF Grand Prix Zagreb, Zorko announced his retirement from competitive running.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n middle distance runner
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
, a notable 1500 m competitor in the 1990s. Probably his biggest accomplishment is winning the first international medal for the country of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, winning a bronze medal at the 1992 European Indoor Athletics Championships. His other major sports achievements include:
- 6th place at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships1989 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 2nd IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Budapest Sportcsarnok in Budapest, Hungary from March 3 to March 5, 1989. There were a total number of 373 participating athletes from 62 countries.-Men:1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993...
(3000 m) - Bronze medal at the 1992 European Indoor Championships in Athletics1992 European Indoor Championships in AthleticsThe 22nd European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Genoa, a city in Italy, in 1992. This was the first indoor championship which was the start of the new two year cycle for the games.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:...
- Bronze medal at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships1993 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 4th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Skydome in Toronto, Canada from March 12 to March 14, 1993. It was the last Indoor Championships to feature the 5,000 and 3,000 metres race walk events. In addition, it was the first Indoor Championships to include heptathlon and...
- Silver medal at the 1994 European Indoor Championships in Athletics1994 European Indoor Championships in AthleticsThe 23rd European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Paris, the capital city of France in 1994.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com* at GBRathletics.com*...
- Bronze medal at the 1994 European Championships in Athletics1994 European Championships in AthleticsThe 16th European Athletics Championships were held from 7 August to 14 August 1994 in the Olympic Stadium of Helsinki, Finland.-Track:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Field:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Track:1986 |1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |-Field:...
- 4th place at the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships1997 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 6th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris, France from March 7 to March 9, 1997. It was the first athletic championships to introduce women's pole vault...
- 4th place at the 2002 European Indoor Athletics Championships
By the late 1990s, Zorko was increasingly suffering from injuries, which prompted him to turn to professional pacemaking
Pacemaker (track)
A pacemaker or pace-setter is a runner who leads a middle- or long distance running event for the first section to ensure a fast time and avoid excessive tactical racing. Pacemakers are frequently employed by race organisers for world record attempts with specific instructions for lap times...
. As a pacemaker, he assisted in setting several world records, both indoors and outdoors, most notably for Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
.
Zorko ran 1500 m in five Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
, from 1988 to 2004, making through to the semi-finals in 1992
Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's 1500 metres
These are the official results of the men's 1500 metres event at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. There were a total number of 51 participating athletes, with four qualifying heats.-Medalists:-Records:...
and 1996
Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's 1500 metres
These are the official results of the men's 1500 metres event at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There were a total number of 56 competitors.-Medalists:-Records:...
.
On July 11, 2005 at IAAF Grand Prix Zagreb, Zorko announced his retirement from competitive running.
Outdoors
| Distance | Mark | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 m | 2:18.97 | 2000-06-17 | Zagreb Zagreb Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city... |
| 1500 m | 3:33.30 NR | 1998-08-08 | Monte Carlo Monte Carlo Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco.... |
| Mile | 3:52.64 NR | 1998-08-05 | Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... |
| 2000 m | 4:58.02 NR | 1996-07-10 | Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of... |
| 3000 m | 7:48.72 NR | 1998-06-01 | Hengelo Hengelo Hengelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the International Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.-Traffic and transport:... |
| 5000 m | 13:43.04 | 1989-06-04 | Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe... |
Indoors
| Distance | Mark | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 m | 2:20.35 NR | 1998-02-04 | Erfurt Erfurt Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian... |
| 1500 m | 3:38.05 NR | 1997-02-02 | Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... |
| 3000 m | 7:49.29 NR | 1990-03-07 | Piraeus Piraeus Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf.... |