CROATIAN OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS GIVEN ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME IN SPLIT

SPLIT, Sept 1 (Hina) - About 50,000 people gathered on the waterfront in Split on Wednesday evening under the motto "We Are the Champions" to welcome seven athletes from this southern Adriatic city who had won medals at the last Olympic Games in Athens.#L# The crowd cheered and applauded weight lifter Nikola Pesalov, who won the bronze medal, swimmer Duje Draganja, who took the silver in the 50m freestyle race, the rowing brothers Sinisa and Niksa Skelin, who captured the silver, and Ivan Balic, Petar Metlicic and Drago Vukovic, members of the national handball team that won the gold medal. Nearly all athletes from Split and surrounding towns who participated in the Olympic Games, including high jumper Blanka Vlasic, also joined in the celebration. The crowd also applauded tennis player Mario Ancic, who won the bronze medal in pair with Ivan Ljubicic. Ljubicic could not attend the celebration because of a tournament in the United States. The atmosphere was partly spoilt by whistles and boos from the crowd directed at Mayor Miroslav Bulicic as he took the microphone to congratulate the medallists and convey greetings from President Stjepan Mesic. "I will have to read you a telegram from the President of the Republic no matter how much you may whistle," the mayor said and read out the president's message to the athletes. Mesic said in his message that he was proud of the athletes who had brought home the largest number of medals so far, confirming that Split had talented athletes able to ensure such successes in the future. The celebration was also attended by the chairman of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Matesa, and county and city officials. (Hina) vm