Byzantine Blog

Running for Freedom

Bosnian Serb Zeljko Blagojevic, an ultra-marathon runner, arrived to Kosovska Mitrovica on Saturday, March 22, after running more than 900 km (550 miles) from Banja Luka, a capital of Serb republic in Bosnia.

The marathon, run in protest against Pristina separatists' declaration and to show support for Kosovo Serbs stranded in a fake state—a NATO satellite on the territory of Serbia—has injected the new optimism in Mitrovica, the city which came under heavy attack of NATO troops on the four years anniversary of March 17 pogrom.

Greeted with applauses, banners and flags by the grateful compatriots who joined him on a run through the city, Zeljko said he carries a message of support from Republika Srpska.

"I wanted to show the world how close Republika Srpska and Kosovo-Metohija really are," Blagojevic said, stressing that "it takes no more than plain steps to come and bow to the Serbian sanctity."

It's Serbia Nevertheless

On the same day, Milorad Cavic was given a hero's welcome in Belgrade, on his return from Eindhoven in Holland, where he was banned from further competition after breaking a European record at 50 m butterfly race, for wearing a Kosovo is Serbia t-shirt at a winners' podium.

"Recently, I realized that I'm not only an athlete, but also an ambassador of my country. As long as I can, I have to help my country and represent it in the world. I was aware of the risks, but I did not expect such a harsh punishment by the European Swimming Federation (LEN)," Cavic said at a press conference on Nikola Tesla Airport.

Asked about a kind of t-shirt he intends to wear at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Cavic said that there will certainly be some kind of message in Serbian Cyrillic again.

"Maybe the one that says: It's Serbia Nevertheless", said Cavic, adding he was sincerely surprised to find that everyone understood what his shirt says, being that he purposely chose the one written in Serbian Cyrillic, because the message was intended for his fellow Serbs.

The young swimming champion was received by the Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica who gave him another Serbian flag, after commenting earlier that "unless Cavic brought his country's flag to the winners' podium, most people wouldn't know he represents Serbia, because the organizers hoisted a wrong flag for the winner."

The 7000 Euros fine leveled against Serbia's Swimming Federation, in addition to a ban for Cavic, will be picked up by the Serbian Government, while the Swimming Federation's President Dusan Dimitrijevic announced pressing charges against the Dutch organizing committee.

"During the awards ceremony, the host made a rather serious mistake of raising a non-Serbian flag for a gold medalist. We shall seek the most severe penalty for the Dutch because of this," Dimitrijevic said.

Recommended: Milorad Cavic arrives to Belgrade, Nikola Tesla Airport (YouTube); Excerpt from Cavic's press conference (in Serbian), YouTube