Today begins the competition for the Mediterranean medals, in the fight will be 111 Croatian athletes

The XX Mediterranean Games opened officially on August 22, 2026, in Taranto, Italy, with Croatia sending 111 athletes to compete across 21 individual sports. The opening ceremony took place at the Erasmo Iacovone Stadium, featuring a rich musical and stage program alongside impressive lighting effects. Greece led the parade of participants from 26 countries, followed by Croatia, which was sixth in line. The host nation, Italy, closed the procession with its largest delegation of 498 athletes, making it the biggest representation at the Games. Croatia's delegation, marking its ninth participation under its own flag, was led by Nives Jelovica, a world champion in boating, and Ivan Šapina, a former European champion and Olympian in taekwondo. These two athletes also carried the Croatian flag during the opening ceremony, having previously done so at the Paris Olympics. Croatia’s team will compete in 33 sports over the course of the Games, which run from August 21 to September 3. More than 4,000 athletes from three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa, are expected to participate. On the first day of competition, Croatian athletes will take part in sports including badminton, boating, boxing, handball, canoeing, padel, swimming, shooting, and taekwondo. This marks the beginning of a week-long series of events spread across multiple venues in Taranto. Croatia has historically performed well at the Mediterranean Games, having accumulated a total of 205 medals since its debut as an independent nation, 57 gold, 69 silver, and 79 bronze. The most successful year for Croatia was 1993, when it won a record 34 medals. Swimmer Sanja Jovanović holds the record for the most medals earned by a Croatian athlete at the Mediterranean Games. Between 2001 and 2013, she secured one gold, two silvers, and three bronzes. In table tennis, Tamara Boroš stands out as the sole female athlete with three gold medals. She is joined in the sport by Zoran Primorac, who holds the record for the most Mediterranean Games medals overall. Primorac, a seven-time Olympian, has competed four times for Croatia and three times for the former Yugoslavia, earning a total of seven podium finishes. Croatia’s participation in the Mediterranean Games continues to grow, reflecting the country’s strong sporting tradition and commitment to international competition. With 111 athletes competing in 21 different sports, the delegation includes both seasoned veterans and emerging talents. Among them are athletes who have represented Croatia at the Olympic level, such as Šapina, as well as newcomers eager to make their mark on the international stage. The Games provide a platform for athletes from around the Mediterranean region to showcase their skills and foster cultural exchange. For Croatia, this edition represents another opportunity to build upon past successes and potentially add more medals to its collection. As the competition progresses, attention will focus on how Croatian athletes perform in key events and whether they can break previous records set in earlier editions of the Games. The opening ceremony highlighted the significance of the event, with Croatia’s delegation receiving widespread support from fans and officials alike. The presence of high-profile athletes such as Jelovica and Šapina underscored the importance of the Games for national pride and athletic achievement. With the first competitions already underway, the eyes of the region are on the Croatian athletes as they begin their quest for medals in Taranto.