Despite repeated experiences and the lessons they should bring, Bosnia and Herzegovina's approach to the Olympics remains unchanged. Minimal financial resources are allocated, and the importance of the Olympics seems to be realized only when athletes are boarding the plane. Given this, is there any hope for future Olympics? Once again, longstanding neglect has resulted in the Bosnian team returning home without a single medal.

The Bosnian Olympic team has returned home. Larisa Ceric achieved the best placement with a seventh place in her third Olympic participation. Aleksandra Samardzic, in her Olympic debut, finished among the top 16, Lana Pudar among the top 12, Jovan Lekic secured the 30th place, and Mesud Pezer did not reach the finals, unlike in the Tokyo Games.

N1 hosted Jovan, Aleksandra, and Larisa, and their judo coach Branislav Crnogorac shared his perspective on the Bosnian participation in the Paris Olympics.

“It was all very intense and exhausting, both physically and emotionally. I am beginning to feel everything settling down. The impressions are being gathered, but overall, it was good,” said Aleksandra, followed by Larisa:

“I feel good. I’ve even been training a bit. They push me to train because I have a lot of energy. It hasn’t all settled yet; it will take time for everything to come together.”

Judo coach Branislav Crnogorac commented on the performance of Bosnian athletes.

“I am satisfied with our participation. We gave our all and delivered results. We can be proud. The Olympics are challenging, with the best athletes in the world competing, but we managed,” said Crnogorac.

Larisa Ceric achieved the best Bosnian result at these Games.

“I thought I could do more. I hoped and expected to fight for a medal or even win one. Still, with two wins and two losses at the Olympics, I gave my best and have no regrets. I was ready both physically and mentally. Maybe a bit of sports luck was missing. I am grateful for the seventh place. As I have said before, all athletes from Bosnia are true heroes. Despite the challenging conditions, we strive to excel. This is a moment to celebrate, and I am glad to have achieved the best result. I hope in the next Olympics there will be more of us with the chance to win a medal,” said Larisa.

She continued to express her gratitude for the support from people.

“I felt great support from the people. They gave me a boost, and I hope there will be more competitors in Los Angeles to help us win medals. Especially for the people who follow us.”

Is this support the biggest motivation to continue?

“These were my first Olympics, and I was overwhelmed by the attention from the media and the public. I was amazed at how many people followed and reached out. It was motivating to give our best because we have great support and people cheering for us,” said Aleksandra Samardzic.

Jovan Lekic also shared his thoughts on his performance.

“I didn’t meet my expectations. I hoped for a better performance, but as Aleksandra said, it was my first Games. There was a lot of pressure and high expectations. I even had a fever on the day of my race, which made it harder,” said Lekic, adding what he needs to meet expectations:

“I need more experience and a lot more training. I also need to be healthy before my race.”

Jovan has a promising future and the fight for the next Olympics.

“I am starting university and training in August. The preparations for the next Olympics will begin,” said Lekic. “Regarding financial support, it’s lacking. I train in the USA on a scholarship, and the conditions for training are excellent.”

Larisa Ceric highlighted the challenges due to a lack of support.

“We finance everything ourselves as we don’t have support at that level. We managed to meet the standards because every competition costs. People around us create conditions from nothing. They know how to fundraise and invest in our athletes,” said Ceric.

“Why do Serbia and Croatia achieve such results? Because they are not burdened. We are under immense pressure, which makes it harder for us than for other athletes. In Croatia, you only hear about some athletes when they win medals.”

How does it feel knowing you can't reach a higher level due to lack of support?

“It’s disheartening to see how much support other athletes get from their leaders. They are valued, and their efforts are recognized. We fight alone and achieve results alone. Only when we win a medal do people want to celebrate and take pictures,” said Samardzic.

In some countries, athletes receive unusual rewards, like lifetime metro tickets, land, or exemption from military service.

“I read a meme that said, ‘Larisa Ceric won a medal, got a one-day stay in the Centar Municipality.’ Promises are many, but nothing materializes. We are used to fighting. I told the ministers that I hope they will invest in sports, but they didn’t seem bothered. They thought, ‘Let her talk, we will get back to our jobs and receive our salaries,’” concluded Ceric.