Gabriel Veočić on the Olympic Games: In Cuba I trained in the warmth with out aircon, electricity and water, that’s survival

Come on, smile, smile a touch!, his father shouted to him from in the back of even as Gabrijel Veočić (22) posed with the medal. Which, moreover, he put upside down.

– The maximum vital element for me was to win the Olympic Games, the medal turned into much less critical. I controlled to do that and I lower back home happy – repeats the high-quality boxer after triumphing silver on the European Games in Krakow.

And a marvel welcome in his Slavonski Brod!

– Around 7 o’clock in front of the house in Brod, I was greeted via colleagues from the club, membership control, family, girlfriend, friends… Yes, there was a torchlight. As quickly as we entered the street, we noticed smoke, so I thought something turned into on fireplace due to the fact I wasn’t expecting a welcome. I still puzzled if something became being prepared, just to understand the way to prepare, but they informed me ‘not anything, not anything’, haha.

Veočić: Rocky 4 is my preferred movie

At one time, he declared that he enjoys ice cream, that he can devour 20 of them! Did he treat himself after reaching the goal?

– I did, I did, already on the manner out of the hall right after the healthy! And that once a long term due to the fact, whilst I’m preparing, I keep away from him.

Gabrijelov’s father is a former boxing representative Pero Veocic, these days his instruct. So how do you cope with him?

– Always with the ‘educate’! For his own sake, not due to the fact he demands it. You can argue along with your father, there is no argument with the educate, his is the ultimate because he knows great. In this dating among train and athlete, we haven't any objections to each other.

And at domestic?

Photo: Davor Puklavec/PIXSELL

– We made a border from the start and got used to it. Yes, the topic of communique at domestic is usually boxing, but we have agreed that there will be no communicate of boxing for the next month or two. Of path we also watch matches together, in addition to films about boxing.

And, that's the favorite?

– ‘Rocky 4’, while he fights with Ivan Drago.

I changed into getting hit a good deal harder

In the final defeat against the Ukrainian, the referee stopped the combat inside the second spherical, however Pero also concept about throwing inside the towel and surrendering. Would you be mad at dad if he did that?

– I wouldn’t because, as a whole lot as I assume I can, the train comes to a decision. If we fought as difficult as we, the warring parties, assume we will, a person would die! We don’t give up, and the train can see that there may be no factor anymore, that simplest harm is performed to the boxer. Even if he had surrendered, the decision might have been accurate.

Did he tell you after the fit how near he was to giving up?

– We talked and the Ukrainian amazed us, we notion he might fall earlier than the second round if I started with all my strength, however he additionally started out on me. I have to exchange procedures, outbox him, no combat.

Is that the largest damage you’ve experienced in a match in your career?

– I didn’t come out of that healthy with any harm, I become just bodily exhausted, that’s why I acted susceptible. It is difficult to recognition on such a lot of matches, I had 30 of them in three hundred and sixty five days, and all of them have been hard fits, the most powerful combatants. And I suffered stronger blows than in that healthy.

After the Olympic Games, he have become a professional

The European Games were Veočić’s first continental senior opposition and he without delay won silver. He is the European champion below the age of twenty-two, and he become 5th in  senior world championships. Is there nonetheless a plan to go pro after the Olympics?

– We will speak, we haven’t decided yet. After the OI in Paris, I would really like to push each careers and go to the Games in Los Angeles.

At home in Brod, there's little or no at some point of the year.

– Then I’m safe, calm, and my pet, Rottweiler Kiara, is awaiting me. In Croatia, I have the first-class sparring sessions in Zagreb, and we additionally go to Assisi in Italy, in which the national teams of Italy, Great Britain, Germany, France come… I actually have first rate sparring classes there, that's the maximum important for the Olympics, and we leave out that the most at domestic. And it is close and to be had to us.

I lost 4-5 kg ​​in a week

At the stop of the yr or the start of subsequent 12 months, he's going to visit Cuba once more for arrangements, where he had a completely unique experience last year.

– We were there for 3 weeks, sincerely hard. I didn’t recognise what turned into anticipating me, I didn’t expect that there might be a hall without air con, now and again even with out power and water… We knew that spartan conditions were looking ahead to me, but it was the first time I noticed something like that. I changed into imagined to go to Las Vegas for part of the preparations, however we didn’t get along side the coaches and the promoter, so we stayed in Cuba for a long term.

He continued about Cuba:

– It’s already tough for me when I think about going there once more, however I know we should. Three weeks turned into perhaps too lengthy, inside the first week I lost four-five pounds. In every education, we go to the most, to the ‘purple quarter’. That’s how they do it, so that’s how I did it. What impresses me the maximum is their persistence. I’ve been midway round the world and nowhere do people chunk so much. It is pure survival, there is no second of relaxation, actually combating for the bread in their countrywide group members. The sparrings are very tough, already within the first schooling on the primary day my arcade broke, so I needed to take a ruin for 2 or three days. I straight away realized that there has been no rest.

His arrangements are paid for through HOO.

The Germans referred to as me

– First we have been in non-public lodging, then in a inn. And it's miles a training camp, in which there are rooms like in a pupil dormitory, in addition to school rooms wherein their warring parties study for college. Military technique.

Are you approached by way of managers, promoters and coaches who would like to attend to your career?

– Now I don’t even recognize because I left my mobile smartphone behind for the previous few days, I even have 1000 calls and messages. But in any other case, at huge competitions, coaches observe boxers and recruit them. Before the WC this spring, a German promoter from Universum, who manages many Croatian boxers, contacted me and invited me to their camp.

Would you compromise to trade the coach?

– Dad and I have a look at together, we can listen to advice, but decide collectively. Dad will constantly be there, and maybe we can upload someone else to the workforce.

He did no longer cooperate with Croatian boxing aces like Hrgović, Mavrović, Drviš…

– Congratulations to your successes and that’s it.

I couldn’t stand the ache in my lower back

Last year he had issues together with his hand and a herniated disc.

– I had to recover for 4 or five months due to the fact I couldn’t undergo the ache anymore. After rehabilitation, I went to Cuba. I didn’t ought to perform something, the muscle tissue that maintain my backbone are nicely developed, I simply brought physical activities that help my returned. It heals for a year or two, we are at the right tune, now I don’t feel any discomfort.

Veočić is a member of the reserve forces of the Croatian Army.

– I went via a 3-month training in Požega and as a reserve member I have the obligation to respond when referred to as. They known as me once in  years, it’s an honor to be a Croatian soldier!

Dino Merlin is one among my favorite singers

Will you are making it to Dina Merlin’s live performance in Zagreb Arena in December?

– Uh, I doubt it. He is certainly one of my favourite singers and I would love to, however it is still too early to plan for it.

In addition to his revenue at HV, he has a scholarship from HOO, and Slavonski Brod additionally supports him financially. But the plate on the “stroll of reputation”, in which Mandžukić, Rakitić, Olić…, isn't always but there.

– After the Olympic medal! – he concluded optimistically.