The BiH team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is represented by Lana Pudar, Larisa Cerić, Aleksandra Samardžić, Mesud Pezer and Jovan Lekić. 

In the premises of the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnian team of Olympians was ceremoniously presented, who will compete at the Summer Olympic Games in the capital of France – Paris, from July 26 to August 11 of this year.

During the presentation of our best athletes, the President of the Olympic Committee of BiH, Izet Rađo, addressed the attendees, saying: "In front of us sit heroines and heroes who have taken BiH to the world's greatest sporting event where 206 countries and 10,500 athletes compete for prestige, fighting in the spirit of the universal Olympic motto, faster, higher, stronger, but also together… Every effort, step, every tear, and smile has brought us to this moment. Now is the time for us to write history together, for you to compete bravely at the Olympics in Paris, to achieve your maximum, to realize your Olympic dreams, and to represent your country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the best way possible.

You are heroines and heroes today because you have fought to surpass the highly coded Olympic standards through your effort, hard work, and sacrifices, and from a population of 7.5 billion people on our planet, you are among the 10,500 heroes and heroines who will compete for medals, for records…

All those who win medals are super heroines and super heroes, celebrated by the whole world throughout history. On behalf of the Olympic family of BiH, I wish to thank your families, coaches, clubs, and associations who have invested great effort and shown immense dedication on your path to your Olympic dreams."

The Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH, Dubravka Bošnjak, also greeted those present, emphasizing: "Dear Olympians, even though you trained under unequal conditions, you achieved excellent results, qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris. These Games will be the culmination of your effort and work. I wish you much sporting luck and success. See you in Paris!"

"It is a great honor and pleasure for me to be here today with you, dear athletes and coaches. I wish you to be strong, fast, and healthy in Paris, to give your maximum, and we will be with you at every moment,” said Dragan Mioković, Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Federation of BiH.

"You are the best of the best, and you are already winners for us. We want more and more of our athletes to participate in such events every year. The Ministry has initiated processes that will improve the conditions for top sports in BiH. I wish you many smiles on your faces and happiness in the competitions," said Sanja Vlaisavljević, Minister of Culture and Sports of the Federation of BiH.

The solemn farewell to the BiH Olympic team was attended by the Ambassador of France, the host country of the Games, H.E. François Delmas, who, in his address, reminded everyone of the friendly relations between our two countries and emphasized that BiH has played a special role in the history of the Olympic Games. The BiH team in Paris will feel the hospitality, love, and respect of the citizens of Paris, along with the excellently organized Games. Inclusion, equality, and ecological sustainability are priorities for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris."

Mission chief Said Fazlagić presented the BiH Olympic team, which consists of 5 athletes: Lana Pudar (swimming), Jovan Lekić (swimming), Larisa Cerić (judo), Aleksandra Samardžić (judo), and Mesud Pezer (athletics). They will be accompanied by 5 coaches: swimming - Damir Đedović, Goran Grahovac; judo - Branislav Crnogorac, Arijana Jaha; athletics - Mehmed Skender, and physiotherapist Miodrag Ranđelović, in their quest to achieve outstanding results for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He also announced, by decision of the Executive Committee of the OK BiH, that the flag bearers at the opening ceremony will be Larisa Cerić and Mesud Pezer, and at the closing ceremony, Lana Pudar. The ceremonial outfits that the Olympians and coaches will wear at the opening ceremony were also presented.

All our Olympians expressed their hopes and expectations, thanking the Olympic Committee of BiH for their great support during the four-year preparation cycle for achieving the Olympic standard, and promised to give their maximum and achieve the best results.

Mesud Pezer: "These are my third Games in a row. I will give my best to achieve a good placement at these Games and thus represent my homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the best way. I wish much success and happiness to all my colleagues."

Of course! Here’s the translation of the text into English:

Jovan Lekić: "These are my first Olympic Games, and I am truly happy to have the opportunity to represent my country at the biggest sports event in the world. Never give up on your goals, fight until the end regardless of the circumstances; a disciplined mind and body always yield the best results."

Larisa Cerić: "I am glad that I have managed to meet the standard for the Olympic Games for the third time, and I have the chance to achieve my dream for the third time. I hope to present myself in the best light at these Games in Paris. Paris is my lucky city, and after my European and World medals, I hope to fulfill my biggest dream, which is to win an Olympic medal."

Aleksandra Samardžić: "I am very happy that I have managed to qualify for my first Olympic Games. I can’t wait for my performance in Paris and hope to show myself in the best light and delight all sports enthusiasts in Bosnia and Herzegovina."

"I would like to thank the athletes for their results and achieving the Olympic standard, the fellow coaches for their hard work with the athletes, and a special thank you goes to the Olympic Committee of BiH, the Judo Association of BiH, and the clubs of our Olympians without whose support we wouldn't be here today. I am sure we will all give our maximum in the fights for medals," said the most successful judo coach in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Branislav Crnogorac.

You can watch the video of the press conference at THIS LINK.