Our rower Roko Mijić is beginning the final training cycle with the Croatian junior national team ahead of the World Rowing Under 19 Championships, which will take place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 6 to 9 August 2026.
Following an excellent performance at the European Rowing Under 19 Championships in Brandenburg, Roko will once again represent Croatia in the junior men's quadruple sculls.
The crew that reached the European A final
The Croatian quadruple sculls crew consists of:
- Roko Mijić — VK Neretvanski gusar
- Šime Ravnjak — VK Korana
- Petar Hrkać — VK Jarun
- Karlo Svirčić — VK Krka
The crew is coached by Croatian national team coach Zlatko Katušin.
The same four rowers reached the A final at the European Under 19 Championships in Brandenburg in May and finished sixth in Europe. The Croatian crew placed second in the heats and third in the semifinal before racing against Europe's five best crews in the final.
That result showed that Roko and his teammates can compete with the strongest junior crews in Europe.
Final preparations in Zagreb and Maribor
The crew now faces a demanding preparation period before travelling to Plovdiv. Part of the training will take place at Jarun in Zagreb, with the remainder on the regatta course in Maribor, where Roko has already attended a training camp this season.
The final weeks will focus on refining the crew's rhythm and technique and building form for the most important junior rowing event of the year.
Roko's progress with the national team is the result of his work and commitment, supported by the continued work of our coaching team. Rowers at the club are developed by Slobodan Medak, Matko Delija, Antonio Crnčević, Ivan Puljić and Roko Mioč, while club secretary Davor Gnječ handles an important part of the club's administration and logistics.
Roko is the first VK Neretvanski gusar rower to represent Croatia in more than 25 years. After reaching the European A final, he now has another opportunity to represent our club, Metković and the Neretva Valley at the world's leading junior rowing competition.
We will follow the crew's final preparations and their races in Plovdiv.
Good luck, Roko, and calm water!
