Luciano Sušanj
Encyclopedia
Luciano Sušanj is a Croatia
n politician, sports worker and former track athlete who competed for Yugoslavia
. Sušanj was successful in international competition over 400 and 800 meters, but is best known for winning the 800 meters European title in 1974.
In the 1990s Sušanj started a political career, winning a seat in the Croatian Parliament
in 1990 and 2000. In 2000 he was elected president of the Croatian Athletics Federation
, and vice-president of the Croatian Olympic Committee
.
, his native city. In 1966 and 1967 Sušanj won a total of five medals with his club, competing over 100 meters, 400 meters, 4 x 100 meters and 400 meter hurdles in the national junior competition. In 1969 he became a Yugoslav champion over 400 meters and won the gold medal in the same event at the Balkan Games.
In the early 1970s Sušanj shifted his focus from 400 meters towards 800 meters. His 800 meters breakthrough year was 1973, when he won the Yugoslav championship and the gold medal at the Balkan Games, repeating his 1969 success over 400 meters. In the same year, Sušanj also became the 400 meters European indoor champion, winning the final on 11 March with 46.38 s, an indoor world record at the time.
In his most famous race, the 800 meters final at the 1974 European Championships in Athletics
in Rome
, Sušanj used his speed to outsprint the opposition in the last 200 meters, and won the race by more than a second-and-a-half, beating a home crowd favorite and the reigning world record holder Marcello Fiasconaro
, as well as the then-19-year-old Steve Ovett
.
After his surprise victory in Rome, Sušanj disappeared from the athletics scene. By that time, he was already married and a father of two, and quickly realized he would be unable to prepare for the 1976 Summer Olympics
while working at the same time. Between athletics and supporting his family, Sušanj chose the latter. Eventually, he did compete at the Montreal Olympics, where he placed 6th in the 800 m final, clocking 1:45.75. By his account, Sušanj was not in optimal form in Montreal because he was serving the army that year. A month after the Olympics he retired from the sport, pursuing a physical education
diploma.
Until Blanka Vlašić
's high jump
world title in 2007, Sušanj's 800 meters gold medal at the 1974 European Championships in Athletics
was widely seen as the greatest individual achievement in the history of Croatian athletics. , his winning mark of 1:44.07 still stands as the Croatian record.
In 2002, the Croatian Athletics Federation
named Sušanj the all-time best Croatian male track and field athlete.
. In the first democratic election in Croatia
, he obtained a seat in the Croatian Parliament and served as an MP until 1992. In the 1990s, he served as deputy-mayor of Rijeka
and president of the Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, a regional party active in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
.
In 2000 Sušanj was again elected to the Croatian Parliament, and became president of the Croatian Athletics Federation
and vice-president of the Croatian Olympic Committee
. In 2002 he ran for the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee, but lost to Zlatko Mateša
. In 2003, Sušanj left the Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar over disagreements with its president Nikola Ivaniš, and entered the newly-formed Autonomous Regional Party , of which he was a co-founder.
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 politician, sports worker and former track athlete who competed for Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
. Sušanj was successful in international competition over 400 and 800 meters, but is best known for winning the 800 meters European title in 1974.
In the 1990s Sušanj started a political career, winning a seat in the Croatian Parliament
Parliament of Croatia
The Parliament of Croatia or the Sabor is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia and legislature of the country. Under the terms of the Croatian Constitution, represents the people and is vested with the legislative power...
in 1990 and 2000. In 2000 he was elected president of the Croatian Athletics Federation
Croatian Athletics Federation
The Croatian Athletics Federation is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Croatia.It was founded in 1992 after Croatia had announced independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
, and vice-president of the Croatian Olympic Committee
Croatian Olympic Committee
The Croatian Olympic Committee is the non-profit organization representing Croatian athletes in the International Olympic Committee. The COC organizes Croatia's representatives at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. It also organizes the Croatian contingent at smaller events such as the...
.
Sports career
Luciano Sušanj started athletics as a junior competitor for AK Kvarner in RijekaRijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
, his native city. In 1966 and 1967 Sušanj won a total of five medals with his club, competing over 100 meters, 400 meters, 4 x 100 meters and 400 meter hurdles in the national junior competition. In 1969 he became a Yugoslav champion over 400 meters and won the gold medal in the same event at the Balkan Games.
In the early 1970s Sušanj shifted his focus from 400 meters towards 800 meters. His 800 meters breakthrough year was 1973, when he won the Yugoslav championship and the gold medal at the Balkan Games, repeating his 1969 success over 400 meters. In the same year, Sušanj also became the 400 meters European indoor champion, winning the final on 11 March with 46.38 s, an indoor world record at the time.
In his most famous race, the 800 meters final at the 1974 European Championships in Athletics
1974 European Championships in Athletics
The 11th European Athletics Championships was held from 2 September to 8 September 1974 in the Stadio Olimpico of Rome, the capital of Italy.-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Field:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Sušanj used his speed to outsprint the opposition in the last 200 meters, and won the race by more than a second-and-a-half, beating a home crowd favorite and the reigning world record holder Marcello Fiasconaro
Marcello Fiasconaro
Marcello Luigi Fiasconaro is an Italian-South African athlete, who in 1973 set a world record in the 800 m.-Early life:...
, as well as the then-19-year-old Steve Ovett
Steve Ovett
Stephen Michael James "Steve" Ovett OBE , is a former middle distance runner from England. He was gold medalist in the 800 metres at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, U.S.S.R., and set world records for 1500 metres and the mile run...
.
After his surprise victory in Rome, Sušanj disappeared from the athletics scene. By that time, he was already married and a father of two, and quickly realized he would be unable to prepare for the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
while working at the same time. Between athletics and supporting his family, Sušanj chose the latter. Eventually, he did compete at the Montreal Olympics, where he placed 6th in the 800 m final, clocking 1:45.75. By his account, Sušanj was not in optimal form in Montreal because he was serving the army that year. A month after the Olympics he retired from the sport, pursuing a physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
diploma.
Until Blanka Vlašić
Blanka Vlašic
Blanka Vlašić is a Croatian athlete who specialises in the high jump. She is the current Croatian record holder in the event, and also the current indoorWorld Champion. The daughter of Croatian decathlon record holder Joško Vlašić, she was a talented junior athlete and attended her first Olympic...
's high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
world title in 2007, Sušanj's 800 meters gold medal at the 1974 European Championships in Athletics
1974 European Championships in Athletics
The 11th European Athletics Championships was held from 2 September to 8 September 1974 in the Stadio Olimpico of Rome, the capital of Italy.-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Field:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982...
was widely seen as the greatest individual achievement in the history of Croatian athletics. , his winning mark of 1:44.07 still stands as the Croatian record.
In 2002, the Croatian Athletics Federation
Croatian Athletics Federation
The Croatian Athletics Federation is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Croatia.It was founded in 1992 after Croatia had announced independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
named Sušanj the all-time best Croatian male track and field athlete.
Political career
Until 1990, the year he entered politics, Sušanj was employed as a sports worker in RijekaRijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
. In the first democratic election in Croatia
Croatian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Croatia on 22 April 1990, with a second round of voting on 6 May. The first free elections since multi-party politics were introduced, they resulted in a victory for the Croatian Democratic Union, which won 55 of the 80 seats...
, he obtained a seat in the Croatian Parliament and served as an MP until 1992. In the 1990s, he served as deputy-mayor of Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
and president of the Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar, a regional party active in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County
Primorje-Gorski kotar County is a county in western Croatia that includes the Bay of Kvarner and the surrounding Northern Croatian seacoast, and the mountainous region of Gorski kotar...
.
In 2000 Sušanj was again elected to the Croatian Parliament, and became president of the Croatian Athletics Federation
Croatian Athletics Federation
The Croatian Athletics Federation is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Croatia.It was founded in 1992 after Croatia had announced independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
and vice-president of the Croatian Olympic Committee
Croatian Olympic Committee
The Croatian Olympic Committee is the non-profit organization representing Croatian athletes in the International Olympic Committee. The COC organizes Croatia's representatives at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. It also organizes the Croatian contingent at smaller events such as the...
. In 2002 he ran for the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee, but lost to Zlatko Mateša
Zlatko Mateša
Zlatko Mateša was the Prime Minister of Croatia from late 1995 until 31 January 2000. He is a member of the Croatian Democratic Union....
. In 2003, Sušanj left the Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar over disagreements with its president Nikola Ivaniš, and entered the newly-formed Autonomous Regional Party , of which he was a co-founder.