The 21-year-old from Zagreb unexpectedly won the men's horizontal bar gold at the World Gymnastics Championships in Montreal in October, after which he has been voted Male Athlete of the Year by the Croatian Olympic Committee and the Croatian sports media.
"Frankly speaking, I was surprised by this honour and I must admit that this title sounds nice. I did not expect it, but I am proud that the International Gymnastics Federation recognised my performance this year. I will do my best to justify the title of World Class Gymnast in the coming season and will wear and keep this badge with pride. It will occupy a special place next to my gold medal from Montreal," Srbic said in the statement.