Branko Zorko

Last updated
Branko Zorko
Personal information
Nationality Croatian
Born (1967-07-01) 1 July 1967 (age 56)
Hodošan, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Sport
Sport Track
Event(s) 1500 metres, mile
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 1500m : 3:33.30 [1]
Mile : 3:52.64 [1]
3000m : 7:48.72 [1]
5000m : 13:43.04 [1]
Medal record
Men’s athletics
Representing Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
World Indoor Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1993 Toronto 1500 m
European Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1994 Helsinki 1500 m
European Indoor Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1994 Paris 1500 m
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1990 Glasgow 3000 m
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1992 Genoa 1500 m

Branko Zorko (born 1 July 1967) is a Croatian retired middle distance runner who specialized in the 1500 metres. Zorko competed in the 1500 metres in five Olympic Games, from 1988 to 2004, making it through to the semi-finals in 1992 and 1996. He won bronze medals at the 1993 World Indoor Championships in Toronto and the 1994 European Championships in Helsinki. In 1992 he was awarded the Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport. He was born in Hodošan.

Contents

Running career

Early career

On November 20, 1984, Zorko ran his first ever race, which he won on a cross country course at the age of 17. [2] Less than a year into training, he posted a time of 8:30 for 3000 meters and won a competitive high school race called Kros Sportskih Novosti. [2] He declined offers to train with AK Crvena Zvezda and instead remained in Križevci, where he did intervals on a track only once a week. [2] The rest of his training took place on forest trails, where Zorko alleged that bystanders would ask him why he was running and tell him to "take a hoe and dig out some corn". [2]

International

At his first major international competition, Zorko finished sixth in the men's 3000 metres race at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships. In 1990, he won his first major medal, winning bronze at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Zorko began specializing in middle-distance disciplines, and eventually found his talent in the 1500 metres. In 1992, Zorko won the first international medal for the newly independent Croatia, winning a bronze medal at the 1992 European Indoor Athletics Championships. A year later he won the bronze medal for the men's 1500 metres at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships, finishing only 0.39 seconds behind winner Marcus O'Sullivan. Next year, Zorko finished second in the 1500 at the 1994 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and third at the 1994 European Championships in Athletics.

At the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships and at the 2002 European Indoor Athletics Championships, he finished in fourth place in the respective 1500 metre races.

Pacemaking

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. On July 11, 2005, Zorko announced his retirement at the IAAF Grand Prix Zagreb.

Personal bests

As of 2012.

Outdoors

DistanceMarkDateLocation
1000 m2:18.972000-06-17 Zagreb
1500 m3:33.30 NR1998-08-08 Monte Carlo
Mile3:52.64 NR1998-08-05 Stockholm
2000 m4:58.02 NR1996-07-10 Nice
3000 m7:48.72 NR1998-06-01 Hengelo
5000 m13:43.041989-06-04 Belgrade

Indoors

DistanceMarkDateLocation
1000 m2:20.35 NR1998-02-04 Erfurt
1500 m3:38.05 NR1997-02-02 Stuttgart
3000 m7:49.29 NR1990-03-07 Piraeus

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg  Yugoslavia
1987 Universiade Zagreb, Yugoslavia 7th1500 m 3:46.46
1988 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 7th1500 m 3:47.69
Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 36th (h)1500 m 3:45.52
1989 European Indoor Championships The Hague, Netherlands 5th3000 m 7:54.16
World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 6th3000 m 7:52.26
Universiade Duisburg, West Germany 14th (h)1500 m 3:48.42
1990 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 3rd3000 m 7:54.77
European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 14th (h)1500 m 3:40.86
Representing Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
1992 European Indoor Championships Genoa, Italy 3rd1500 m 3:42.85
Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 18th (sf)1500 m 3:39.71
1993 World Indoor Championships Toronto, Canada 3rd1500 m 3:45.39
World Championships Stuttgart, Germany 21st (sf)1500 m 3:43.12
1994 European Indoor Championships Paris, France 2nd1500 m 3:44.64
European Championships Helsinki, Finland 3rd1500 m 3:36.88
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 36th (h)1500 m 3:48.83
1996 European Indoor Championships Stockholm, Sweden 5th1500 m 3:46.82
Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 9th (sf)1500 m 3:35.14
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 4th1500 m 3:39.25
Mediterranean Games Bari, Italy 2nd1500 m 3:45.17
World Championships Athens, Greece 19th (sf)1500 m 3:41.63
1998 European Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 6th1500 m 3:45.83
European Championships Budapest, Hungary 10th1500 m 3:43.95
1999 Military World Games Zagreb, Croatia 3rd1500 m3:41.06
2000 European Indoor Championships Ghent, Belgium 10th (h)1500 m 3:42.92
Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 36th (h)1500 m 3:46.16
2001 World Indoor Championships Lisbon, Portugal 9th (h)1500 m 3:39.55
2002 European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria 4th1500 m 3:50.66
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 31st (h)1500 m 3:48.28

Related Research Articles

Yvonne Carole Grace Murray-Mooney, is a Scottish former middle-distance and long-distance track and road-running athlete. She won a bronze medal in the 3000 metres at the 1988 Olympic Games, and gold medals at this distance at the 1987 European Indoor Championships, the 1993 World Indoor Championships and the 1990 European Championships. She also won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. Her 3000 metres best of 8:29.02 was set in the Olympic Final of 1988.

José Luis González Sánchez is a Spanish former middle-distance runner. He represented Spain at the Olympics on three occasions with his best performance being a semi-final run in the 1500 m in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustine Kiprono Choge</span> Kenyan runner

Augustine Kiprono Choge is a Kenyan middle distance and long distance runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hailu Mekonnen</span> Ethiopian long-distance runner

Hailu Mekonnen is an Ethiopian runner, who specializes in the 5000 metres and cross-country running.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesús España</span> Spanish long-distance runner

Jesús España Cobo is a Spanish long-distance runner, who mostly concentrates on the 3000 and 5000 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentayehu Ejigu</span> Ethiopian long-distance runner

Sentayehu Ejigu Tamerat is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who specializes in the 3000 and 5000 metres. She represented Ethiopia at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrey Zadorozhniy</span> Russian middle-distance runner

Andrey Valeryevich Zadorozhniy is a Russian middle-distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres. His sole major international medal was a bronze at the 1998 European Indoor Championships. He won five national titles in the 1500 m at the Russian Athletics Championships, between 1997 and 2002, and four national titles indoors, including had a 1500 m/3000 metres double at the 2003 Russian Indoor Athletics Championships.

Maria Albertina da Costa Dias Pereira is a former Portuguese long-distance runner. She competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for her native country, starting in 1988. She was the first female Portuguese world champion in cross country running, having won the long race at the 1993 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad</span> French middle-distance runner

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is a retired French professional middle-distance runner of Algerian descent who mainly competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is the only man to win three Olympic steeplechase medals, claiming silver in 2008 and 2012 and bronze in 2016. He also won two bronze medals at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2011 and 2013. Mekhissi-Benabbad earned titles at five consecutive editions of the European Athletics Championships between 2010 and 2018.

Enrique Molina Vargas is a retired Spanish runner who specialized in the 5000 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniele Meucci</span> Italian long-distance runner

Daniele Meucci is an Italian athlete who specialises in long-distance running, including track running, cross country and road running who won twenty medals at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morhad Amdouni</span> French middle and long-distance runner

Morhad Amdouni is a French middle- and long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and bronze for the 5000 metres at the 2018 European Athletics Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrés Manuel Díaz</span> Spanish middle-distance runner

Andrés Manuel Díaz is a former Spanish middle-distance runner. He represented Spain at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000 and was the bronze medallist over 1500 metres at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Tudorița Chidu is a Romanian former middle-distance runner who competed in both 800 metres and 1500 metres events. Her personal bests were 1:57.64 minutes and 4:05.69 minutes, respectively. Her greatest honour was a bronze medal in the 1500 m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 1991.

Lyubov Kremlyova is a Russian former middle- and long-distance runner who competed internationally both for the Soviet Union and Russia. She had her greatest success indoors, winning medals at the 1991 IAAF World Indoor Championships and 1992 European Athletics Indoor Championships. She was stripped of a second World Indoor medal in 1995 after a positive test for steroids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Kiessling</span> German track and field athlete

Ellen Buchleitner is a German former track and field athlete who was a middle-distance specialist. Representing East Germany, she won a silver medal in the 800 metres at the 1989 European Indoor Championships and a bronze medal in the 800m at the 1989 World Indoor Championships, before going on to win a silver medal in the 1500 metres at the 1990 European Championships. She won three East German national titles.

Paul Donovan (athlete) (born 11 July 1963) is an Irish former long-distance runner. He was the silver medallist in the 3000 metres at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships. He was the number one ranked indoor runner that year. He represented Ireland at the Olympics twice: in 1984 and again in 1992.

Mikhail Antonovich Dasko is a Russian former long-distance runner who competed for the Soviet Union and later Russia. He was a bronze medallist at both the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 1988 and the 1992 IAAF World Cup. He represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yemaneberhan Crippa</span> Italian long-distance runner

Yemaneberhan "Yeman" Crippa is an Ethiopian-born Italian long-distance runner. He won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres and bronze for the 5000 metres at the European Athletics Championships in 2022, and bronze in the 10,000 m in 2018. Crippa claimed four medals in the age-group races at the European Cross Country Championships and a bronze in the senior race in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elzan Bibić</span> Serbian runner

Elzan Bibić is a Serbian middle- and long-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 2019 European Under-23 Championships.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 IAAF. "Athlete profile for Branko Zorko".
  2. 1 2 3 4 Vedran Božičević (April 20, 2018). "Jutarnji List - Sportske novosti: LEGENDARNI HRVATSKI ATLETIČAR BRANKO ZORKO" (in Croatian). Retrieved October 25, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.