Q and A with Duje Draganja

Yves Herman/Reuters/Corbis

As a kid growing up in Croatia Duje Draganja missed a year of school due to civil war in the former Yugoslavia and trained in a pool that had bullet holes in it. Now at 24 he's a Croatian National hero and International medalist many times over, including a 2004 Olympic silver medal in the 50 meter free and a Gold at 2006 SC Worlds in the same event. At the age of 17, after an accomplished swimming career in Europe that included seven gold medals at the European Junior Championships, he was recruited by Mike Bottom for Berkeley and went on to be an All American and set an NCAA record in the 100 yard free. He won 10 Pac-10 swimming titles and 8 NCAA National championships before graduating in 2005 and is now training down in Florida at The Race Club with Gary Hall, Jr. and several of his former Berkeley teammates.

It was rumored earlier this year that Duje would be switching his nationality to Qatar and competing for them in Beijing so I took the opportunity to ask him about that, and a few other things...

1. How is your training going? Are you still training with Mike Bottom?
Are you excited about the possibilities going into this Olympic season and
how is it different from any other season, if at all? Can you clarify if
you'll be swimming for Qatar or Croatia in Beijing?

It is going well. I am training with Mike Bottom (who is now head coach of Croatian swimming team) down in the Florida Keys at Race Club. We have an interesting team and it is a lot of fun so far. Next season will be different just because it will be a season full of events. There are 2 European championships (long course and short course), as well as Worlds and Olympic games. I am swimming for Croatia, never left the national team although a lot of journalists tend to write differently and in sensationalistic manner and that is why I choose not to talk to them a lot because they will always have their version of the truth.

2. I read two articles saying you'd had surgery over the summer just
before the Paris Open where you won the 100 fly. One said back surgery
and the other said shoulder surgery. Which was it and how have you been
recovering?

I did not win 100 fly in Paris. I did not even swim that event. I had shoulder surgery this winter, in January, because I tore two ligaments in my shoulder when I slipped on ice and landed on my shoulder. I have been doing 3 months of rehab after a surgery. Daily I would spend 6 hours in therapy as well as 2 hours at the pool and I think that is what got me back in the game.

(I read the article wrong - it was the prelims of the 50 fly he won. I shouldn't be allowed internet access after I've had more than one margarita! - Michelle)

3. This will be your third Olympic games and you're still very young for a
sprinter. Many of the guys on the blocks next to you are now in their
30's. Do you think you'll stay in the sport that long or do you have
other plans for yourself?

I don't know what will I do when next year ends. I will prepare for Europeans that are being held in Croatia in December 2008 and then I will see how things will go with my endorsements as well as my motivation. I have been in top 20 since I was 17 so I always felt younger than everybody and it actually motivates me a little bit more.

4. How difficult has it been to live away from your family? Have they had
many opportunities to see you swim?

My parents have followed me all around the world so they have seen me win most of my medals. However it has been hard to study and live in USA for last 7 years because of them and my sisters who are younger and I feel I missed an important part of their lives.

5. What is your favorite meal back home and what is your favorite meal in
the states?

For some reason I enjoy bagels in the US the most as well as those visits to In N Out burger. Croatian cuisine is extremely rich because throughout the history we had had many different influences (Italian, Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish) so different parts of the country have different traditions in preparing meals. I love our fish as well as some wild animals that are prepared in the hunters style of cuisine.

Many thanks to Duje!

I just want to remind you guys that even though this is a really slow time for swimming news, it's in fact a very busy time for these swimmers who are all intensely preparing for the season and exhausted so it's amazing that they are doing this for us.