If there’s a definition of a triumphant welcome, it’s certainly the one given by approximately 40,000 Serbians to their country’s delegation, which returned from the Olympic Games carrying, among others, Novak Djokovic’s gold medal in tennis and the bronze won by Nikola Jokic’s team in basketball.
The scenes at Stari Dvor, the “Old Palace” in Belgrade, now housing the city hall, were extraordinary. The small nation of Serbia managed to win five medals (three gold, one silver, and one bronze), securing the 27th place in the final medal standings among 85 countries that made it to the podium.
President Aleksandar Vučić welcomed the Serbian athletes and applauded their achievements. As expected, Novak Djokovic received overwhelming acclaim, as he won the only title missing from his illustrious career.
In his speech to the ecstatic crowd from the city hall balcony, Djokovic said that winning the Olympic gold medal was the greatest achievement of his career, even though many did not expect him to succeed due to his recent injury. He also mentioned that he played the best tennis of his life, managing not to lose a set, despite many doubting him.
The basketball team also received a hero’s welcome, with Nikola Jokic and his teammates being celebrated as national heroes. Serbia had defeated world champion Germany 93-83 in the bronze medal match, after narrowly losing to the USA 95-91 in a thrilling semifinal.
The other medals came from Zorana Arunović and Damir Mikec in the mixed 10m air pistol event (gold), the men’s water polo team (gold), and Aleksandra Perić in taekwondo at 67 kg (silver).
It’s worth noting that the Serbian government awarded a bonus of €60,000 to each player on coach Pesic’s team for winning the bronze medal in basketball, while the gold medalists in water polo will receive €200,000 each.
