Dominik Etlinger, bronze medallist at the European Wrestling Championships held in Bucharest in April, talked about his experience at the competition with CROMIL. He recalled his time in the Croatian Armed Forces as a voluntary conscript and highlighted the positive impact of the military on his sports career. Besides Dominik, we spoke with Antonio Kamenjašević, who is also both a successful member of Croatia’s national wrestling team and a member of the Croatian Armed Forces’ contract reserve…

Dominik has achieved one of the greatest feats of his career, but he has no intention of stopping there. He aims to win gold medals at the World Championships and at the Summer Olympic Games.

“The road to winning this medal was a rocky one. I drew the most difficult lot. My first match was against the incumbent U23 European vice-champion from Serbia. I then fought the junior world champion from Azerbaijan. In the next round, my opponent was the current world vice-champion from Poland. In the semi-finals, I was defeated by a Russian wrestler, unfortunately. However, reaching the semi-finals meant that I had qualified for the bronze medal match. A wrestler from Armenia was waiting for me in the extremely difficult match. I was losing 3 to 1, but I managed to turn the score to my advantage and take the lead with a 4 to 3 score. The hardest part of the match was the last 90 seconds or so. I had to hold onto the score and gain the upper hand over the fatigue from the previous matches. However, I succeeded; I won – and I am overjoyed. I gained the upper hand over myself and broke the streak of losing in the final match in tournaments,” Dominik told CROMIL.

He did not just gain the upper hand over himself and his opponent, but over medicine, too. Nine months earlier, he had suffered a severe injury that had made him miss the World Championships and cast doubt over his participation in the European Championships.

“I was severely injured. I underwent surgery a little over seven months ago. A ruptured biceps tendon forced me to cancel my performance at the World Championships, even though I was ready for it. I had felt great; I had been in the best shape of my life and my coach had said I had been fully prepared, but then the injury happened. The diagnosis was that a surgery was necessary if I wanted to continue wrestling professionally. The forecast was that I could take up training again six months after the surgery at the very least and return to the ring after a year. However, I decided to put all my strength into returning to the ring as soon as possible. A voice in my mad cap kept telling me that I must fight. In the end, everything worked out well: I have recovered and have made it all the way here,” Etlinger said.

Dominik Etlinger noted that he would not have achieved such a success if he did not enjoy support from the Croatian Armed Forces. Seeing as how the state of Croatian wrestling is far from ideal, Etlinger commented on the benefits he enjoys as a top athlete in the ranks of the Croatian Armed Forces. He stressed that the Croatian Armed Forces and the Croatian Olympic Committee greatly supported his career, especially in financial terms: “Ever since the Ministry of Defence and the Croatian Olympic Committee signed a co-operation agreement, one can make a living of this sport. The Croatian Armed Forces help me a great deal financially. As a Category I top athlete in the Croatian Olympic Committee’s categorization, I also receive a maximum monthly stipend. The Croatian Olympic Committee also helps me procure equipment, food, etc.”

Etlinger is not the only wrestler in the Croatian Armed Forces’ contract reserve. Other top athletes in the reserve who have won medals at premium wrestling tournaments include Ivan Huklek, Božo Kamenjašević, Ivan Lizatović and Božo Starčević.

Antonio Kamenjašević led us through the process of preparing for a tournament as large as the World Championships.

“I have to underline that wrestling is a complex sport. The preparations for a large tournament start four months before the tournament itself.  That period is dedicated to conditions, which involves a lot of cardio workout (running) and workout at the gym, especially weightlifting. As the tournament approaches, wrestling practices are boosted. The idea is for the theory taught at the practices to be implemented during the tournament and to enter the tournament as much prepared as possible,” Antonio reported.

Etlinger and Kamenjašević also explained what a wrestling practice looked like. “We warm up by playing a sport. Usually we play football for 15 minutes. We then warm up our muscles by revising basic techniques for the next 15-20 minutes. The main part of the practice is a simulation of wrestling matches that await us at a tournament. We also simulate situations in a match in which we try to win a point or save the match,” the two wrestlers explained.

Dominik Etlinger outlined his path in the Croatian Armed Forces. “I have always been fascinated by the military and it has been my wish to join the armed forces. I would watch a first sergeant wake up cadets in films and I would imagine myself in the role of a cadet. The dream became a reality. A tight ship is run in the military: we have to get up at six a.m., brush our teeth and see to our commitments. The experience is exciting and I would recommend everyone give it a try. I would like to use this opportunity to invite young people to become voluntary conscripts,” Etlinger concluded.

Text by IVAN ŠURBEK

Photo by TOMISLAV BRANDT

Translation by IVA GUGO