Feature by Stefan Lackner
CLEVELAND, Mississippi, November 3. AUSTRIA's Mirna Jukic is next up in our Getting to Know series on European swimmers.
Country: Austria
Events: 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke, 200 IM
Birthplace: Novi Sad
College: Universitat Wien
Residence: Vienna
Hobbies: Music, Tennis, Inline skating, Volleyball, Basketball, hanging out with my friends, dancing
Club: SC Austria Wien
Coach: Zeljko Jukic
Achievements:
In 2000:
* Missed the Olympic cut by 0.72 sec at the age of 14
In 2001:
* LC European Junior Championships Malta – 1st place 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke; LC World Championships Fukuoka (Japan) – 7th place 100m breaststroke, 8th place 200m breaststroke; SC European Championships Antwerp (Belgium) – 2nd place 100 and 200m breaststroke
In 2002:
* SC World Championships Moscow (Russia) – 3rd place 200m breaststroke; LC European Junior Championships Linz (Austria) – 1st place 100 and 200m breaststroke; LC European Championships Berlin (Germany) – 1st place 200m breaststroke, 6th place 100m breaststroke; SC European Championships Riesa (Germany) – 1st place 200m breaststroke, 2nd place 100m breaststroke
In 2003:
* LC World Championships Barcelona (Spain) – 5th place 200m breaststroke, 7th place 100m breaststroke; SC European Championships Dublin (Ireland) – 1st place 200m breaststroke, 3rd place 100m breaststroke
In 2004:
* LC European Championships Madrid (Spain) – 1st place 200m breaststroke, 3rd place 100m breaststroke; OLYMPIC GAMES Athens (Greece): 7th place 200m breaststroke, 14th place 100m breaststroke; SC World Championships Indianapolis (USA) – 4th place 200m breaststroke; SC European Championships Vienna (Austria) – 2nd place 100m and 200m breaststroke
In 2005:
* LC World Championships Montreal (Canada) – 3rd place 200m breaststroke; SC European Championships Trieste (Italy) – 4th place 200m breaststroke
In 2007:
* LC World Championships Melbourne (Australia) – 10th place 50m breaststroke, 12th place 200m breaststroke; SC European Championships Debrecen (Hungary) – 2nd place 100m and 200m breaststroke
In 2008:
* LC European Championships Eindhoven (Netherlands) – 1st place 100m breaststroke, 2nd place 200m breaststroke, 3rd place 50m breaststroke; SC World Championships Manchester (GBR) – 5th place 200m breaststroke, 6th place 50m and 100m breaststroke; OLYMPIC GAMES Beijing (China): 3rd place 100m breaststroke, 4th place 200m breaststroke.
Sponsors:
* Superfund, Strock, Speedo
How was the Olympics experience overall?
My impression was awesome. I loved the Olympics, it was a nice experience. The whole organization was great. I was happy to be a part of this whole happening.
How has your life changed by being a part of the sport?
Well, through my life, and my successes, there are lots of young kids who want to start swimming. And that's cool.
Was it ever your dream to be a professional swimmer?
I never thought of being that good and successful. But, when I was young, my dream was to participate at the Olympic Games… Thank God, that dream came true…
Who has helped you get to where you are today?
My family was always standing behind me, and supporting me as much as they could. As I was really young when I had my first big successes, I got sponsors who were supporting me, too. And, that was a good thing to continue working and going to the top…
With the world getting faster in the sport, who do you see as the next big swim country after the U.S. and Australia?
There are lots of countries getting better and better. Everyone is working hard. Whole Europe is trying to come as close as they can to USA and Australia… China and Japan, too…
What is your next goal?
SC Europeans in Rijeka (Croatia) in December 2008, and of course, LC Worlds in Rome (Italy)
What do you do to prepare before a race?
I do my warm up as usual. Talk to my dad (my coach). And, listen to music… And, I always chat with other girls in the call room area… That's kind of cool, cause you see, we all get along with each other. And we're more relaxed if we chat a bit before we race.
What is the hardest set you've ever swum?
Every set is hard in its own way.
Do you ever fear losing a race?
If you want to be the best, you have to be stronger than the fear… That's what I always try to tell myself…
Did you ever wish to participate in another sport?
I used to, when I was younger. But I don't anymore. I love swimming. It's my life. Couldn't imagine my life at the moment without swimming…
What would you say to a child, who is learning to swim, and is scared of the water?
It's hard to say something. I think, that the coach should be the one, who'll teach the child how to "connect" with water…