Kristijan Vincetic

Vince (Athlete, 07 Sep 2016)

Cycling. (hpo.hr, 19 Nov 2020)

Winning gold in the S9 400m freestyle at the 2009 European Championships in Reykjavik, Iceland. (Athlete, 07 Sep 2016)

In March 2012 he underwent surgery on his shoulder because of a cyst. He did not return to training until the beginning of 2013. (hrvatskareprezentacija.hr, 24 Jan 2014; Athlete, 07 Sep 2016)

"I compete mainly for myself and my results. I race the stopwatch, not with other competitors. My goal is to set new personal bests, to qualify for major competitions, and if the results are good enough and I can win medals then it's even better." (toyota.hr, 01 Jun 2020)

In November 2015 he received the Franjo Bucar Award for sporting achievement from the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sport. (hpo.hr, 26 Nov 2015)

He received a special award in 2006 from the Croatian Paralympic Committee. (agramak.hr, 13 Oct 2009)

His partner Andela Muzinic played Para table tennis for Croatia at the Paralympic Games in 2012 and 2016, and won a silver medal in the class 1-3 team event at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. She competed at the European championships in 2019 and won gold in the Class 1-3 team event. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Aug 2019; Facebook profile, 12 Feb 2018; toyota.hr, 01 Jun 2020)

To win a medal at the Paralympic Games. (sport.hrt.hr, 08 Dec 2017)

He was born without his right leg due to dysmelia. (Athlete, 24 Apr 2012)

POSTPONED GAMES, POSTPONED WEDDING
He met his partner Andela Muzinic, a Croatian Para table tennis player, at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. He said their wedding plans were delayed due to the postponement of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. "It's great as we understand and motivate each other. We wanted to start planning our wedding after the Games in 2020, like in September, so we could prepare for the Games without the distraction and then enjoy it. However, due to pandemic the Games are postponed to 2021 and so is our wedding." (sportnedjeljom.hr, 19 May 2020)

AMBASSADOR
He and his partner Andela Muzinic serve as ambassadors for the Croatian project 'Our Right to Sport', which aims to promote Para sport among children by organising competitions in the country. "I am proud that I got an invitation to be an ambassador, I couldn't reject it. Already in the past I observed swimming competitions organised in the style of 'Our right to sport', where I enjoyed watching kids competing. It's the spirit of sport - the most important thing is not your ranking, but the fact that you take part." (crosport.hr, 31 May 2019; toyota.hr, 01 Jun 2020)

FUTURE PLANS
He is studying at the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb in Croatia, and says he aims to remain involved in sport after his retirement as an athlete. "I chose coaching studies to stay in sport, so I don't leave this environment when I decide to end my career. I think that I have knowledge that I could share with others. It's somehow my goal to stay in sport in another way." (sportnedjeljom.hr, 19 May 2020)