Milorad "Milo" Čavić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милорад "Мило" Чавић, Serbian pronunciation: [mîloraːd tʃǎːʋitɕ]; born May 31, 1984) is a Serbian former professional swimmer. He won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2008 Summer Olympics in a historic race with American swimmer Michael Phelps. Čavić also was World and European champion, as well as world record holder. He is one of five swimmers who broke 50 seconds in the 100m butterfly.
 Čavić at the 2008 Beijing Olympics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Čavke, Čava, Majkula, Mike, Milo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  Yugoslavia (2000–03) Serbia and Montenegro(2003–06)  Serbia (2006–12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 31, 1984 Anaheim, California, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www.milocavic.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Butterfly, freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | JSD Partizan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of California, Berkeley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Swimming career
editBorn in Anaheim, California and a citizen of both Serbia and the United States, he attended Tustin High School in California, where he set four CIF records and a national high school mark in the 50 yd freestyle.[1] While swimming for the University of California, Berkeley and training with Mike Bottom, Čavić set a new school and Pac-10 record in the 100 yd butterfly (45.44 s).
Representing Serbia and Montenegro at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Dublin 2003, Čavić won the gold medal in 100 m butterfly and set a new world record in the short course. He also won a silver medal in 50 m freestyle. Čavić defended his European 100 m title on subsequent short-course championships in Helsinki 2006 (finishing 50.63), Debrecen 2007 (finishing at 50.53) and Rijeka 2008 (finishing at 49.19 and setting a new European record).[2] He also took silver on 50 m butterfly in Rijeka.[3]
On December 14, 2006 Čavić defended his European championship in the 100 m butterfly in Helsinki, finishing at 50.63 seconds. On December 14, 2007, the sprinter defended his European championship again in the 100 m butterfly in Debrecen, finishing at 50.53 seconds.
In 2008, Čavić won the European championship in the 50 m butterfly, setting the new European record (23.11) in Eindhoven, Holland – a result briefly[citation needed] quashed when the European Swimming Federation (LEN) immediately disqualified the swimmer for wearing a T-shirt at the medals ceremony that read "Kosovo is Serbia".[4] However, his disqualification was removed and his record was recognized.[5][6][7]
At the end of the year, he was declared the best Serbian athlete.
At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Čavić won gold in the 50 m butterfly [8] and broke the 100 m butterfly world record in the semifinals finishing in 50.01 seconds.[9] In the finals Čavić won silver with time of 49.95. In that final, Both Cavic and winner Phelps became the first two swimmers to swim the 100 fly under 50 seconds.
He missed competitions in 2010 due to spinal surgery.[10]
The Olympic Committee of Serbia proclaimed him sportsman of the year three times, 2003, 2008 and 2009.[11]
In 2012 (May 26, 2012), he won the gold medal at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, in the 100 meters butterfly, setting the best time in the world in 2012 and a new championship record – 51.45 seconds.
Olympic career
edit2000 Sydney Summer Olympics
edit
At the age of 16, Čavić represented Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia in the 100 m butterfly (disqualified) and 100 backstroke – 42nd – 58.25 s.[12]
| Event | Results | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m butterfly | DSQ | |
| 100 m backstroke | 42nd | 58.25 |
2004 Athens Summer Olympics
edit
Čavić represented Serbia and Montenegro at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece in the 100 m butterfly, 50 m freestyle and the 100 m freestyle.
| Event | Results | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m butterfly | Semifinal ranking – 16th | 53.12 |
| 50 m freestyle | Heats ranking – 31st | 23.05 |
| 100 m freestyle | Heats ranking – 19th | 49.74 |
Čavić was leading in a semifinal of the 100 metre butterfly, but right after the turn at the halfway point of the race, his suit opened at the neck and sucked in water, causing Čavić to finish last. In the heats of the 100 metre freestyle, Čavić finished 19th missing the semi-finals by 0.02 seconds.
Čavić trained at The Race Club, a swimming club founded by Olympic swimmers Gary Hall, Jr. and his father, Gary Hall, Sr. The Race Club, originally known as "The World Team," was designed to serve as a training group for elite swimmers across the world in preparation for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. To be able to train with the Race Club, one must either have been ranked in the top 20 in the world the past 3 calendar years or top 3 in their nation in the past year. The Race Club included such well known swimmers as Roland Mark Schoeman, Mark Foster, Ryk Neethling, Ricky Busquet and Therese Alshammar.[13] The Race Club offers various swimming camps, swim clinics, and swimming technique video recording year round for young swimmers at their Islamorada, Florida based training center.[14]
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
edit
Čavić represented Serbia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China in two swimming events. Even though he qualified for the 100 metre freestyle semi-final Čavić withdrew in order to prepare for the 100 metre butterfly.
On August 14, 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, Čavić broke the 100 meter butterfly Olympic Record during the preliminary heats, finishing ahead of Michael Phelps and also recorded the fastest time in the semi-finals. Čavić came in second to Phelps by one hundredth of a second in the final, and became Serbia's inaugural Olympiad medalist. It was Phelps' seventh gold medal of the Olympiad. The Serbian team initially challenged the result but FINA later confirmed the finish. It was later confirmed by the FINA and Omega timekeeping officials that Čavić indeed arrived first but it was Phelps who, in the milliseconds after touching the wall, applied more force to trigger an electronic touchpad first.[15] Čavić later wrote in his blog: "People, this is the greatest moment of my life. If you ask me, it should be accepted and we should move on. I’ve accepted defeat, and there’s nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been".[16]
Čavić continued training at The Race Club.[13]
2012 London Summer Olympics
editČavić represented Serbia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, making it his sporting finale. He qualified for the 100 meter butterfly final and tied for fourth place.
Career best times
editLong course metres (50 m pool)
edit| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m freestyle | 22.29 | 2008 Missouri Grand Prix | Columbia, Missouri, United States | February 16, 2008 | Former NR | |
| 100 m freestyle | 48.15 | h | 2008 Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | August 12, 2008 | Former NR |
| 50 m butterfly | 22.67 | 2009 World Championships | Rome, Italy | July 27, 2009 | NR | |
| 100 m butterfly | 49.95 | 2009 World Championships | Rome, Italy | August 1, 2009 | NR, Former ER |
Records not set in finals: h – heat;
Short course metres (25 m pool)
edit| Event | Time | Meet | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 m freestyle | 21.49 | 2003 European Short Course Championships | Dublin, Ireland | December 11, 2003 | NR |
| 100 m freestyle | 47.90 | 2007 Italian Grand Prix | Genoa, Italy | November 23, 2007 | Former NR |
| 50 m butterfly | 22.36 | 2008 European Short Course Championships | Rijeka, Croatia | December 14, 2008 | NR |
| 100 m butterfly | 49.19 | 2008 European Short Course Championships | Rijeka, Croatia | December 12, 2008 | NR, Former ER |
Records not set in finals: h – heat;
Honours and awards
edit- OCS Sportsman of the Year Award (3): 2003, 2008, 2009
- Golden Badge of DSL Sport (1): 2008
See also
edit- List of swimmers
- List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
- List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- List of European Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (men)
- List of European Short Course Swimming Championships medalists (men)
- List of European records in swimming
- List of European Championships records in swimming
- List of Serbian records in swimming
- The Race Club
References
edit- ^ Scott M. Reid, 'Controversial O.C. Serb could spoil Phelps' gold rush'. Archived 2008-08-29 at the Wayback Machine The Orange County Register. August 14, 2008
- ^ "Čavić wins gold, sets new record". b92.net. December 13, 2008. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Čavić takes another medal in Croatia". b92.net. December 15, 2008. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Kazna Čaviću bruka Evrope" [Cavic's sentence, shame for Europe]. Blic (in Serbian). March 22, 2008. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^ "Swimming champion Cavic banned over t-shirt slogan". Reuters. 21 March 2008.
- ^ "Milorad Cavic Speaks to Timed Prelims about European Championships Suspension". Swimming World Magazine. 7 April 2008.
- ^ "Cavic Banned". EuroSport.
- ^ Andrew Dampf (July 27, 2009). "Cavic wins 50 fly and warns Phelps for 100". USA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
- ^ "Swimming: Phelps sees another record go". CNN. July 31, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
- ^ Milorad Cavic May Withdraw From European Championships. www.SwimUtopia.com (2010-06-10). Retrieved on 2014-07-24.
- ^ Trofej OKS – Najuspešniji sportisti. oks.org.rs
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Milorad Čavić". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
- ^ a b The World Team Archived 2016-08-20 at the Wayback Machine. The Race Club. Retrieved on 2014-07-24.
- ^ Swim Camps | The Race Club | Swimming Technique, Swimming Training Program, Florida Swim Camps, Summer Swim Camps. The Race Club. Retrieved on 2014-07-24.
- ^ "Mark Spitz Allegedly Claims Michael Phelps Did Not Win 2008 100 Fly Olympic Gold". 18 April 2015.
- ^ Christopher Clarey, 'Cavic Finds a Personal Triumph in the Narrowest of Defeats'. New York Times. August 16, 2008
External links
edit
- Milorad Čavić at World Aquatics
- Milorad Čavić at Swimrankings.net
- Milorad Čavić at Olympedia
- Milorad Čavić at Olympics.com
- Milorad Čavić at the Olimpijski Komitet Srbije (former profile) (in Serbian)
- Official website
- Arluck Promotions (Milorad Cavic's marketing agent) at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 December 2008)
- Biography by The Orange County Register at the Wayback Machine (archived 23 September 2008)
