Evald Krnić and Igor Kazić are the winners of the 457th jump from the Old Bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Krnić won in the pole vault category, ahead of Ahmet Stupac and Dino Bajrić, while Emel Tiro won second place in the pole vault category, and Harun Bajgorić took third place.
33 jumpers participated, 15 of them in the leg category and 18 in the head category.
The event had an international character this year as well, considering the performances of jumpers from the countries of the region, and the event itself on the plateau below the Old Bridge was attended by several thousand visitors.
The jumps delegate was the celebrated BiH boxer Damir Beljo, and the president of the expert jury Alica Jakirović. Apart from Jakirović, the jury consisted of veteran jumpers, winners of numerous awards: Irfan Milavić, Samir Zukanović, Semir Drocić and Branko Bogićević.
A day earlier, as part of the event, the popular “Slaufijada” was held – a race on slaufs made of truck wheels along the Neretva.
The President of the Sports Association of the City of Mostar, Senad Kevelj, said that jumpers are an integral part of the Old Bridge and that jumping is not just a competition, but that it is the history of Mostar, Herzegovina and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We who live here know the importance of both the Old Bridge and the Jumper,” said Kevelj.
He praised the organization of the jumps, pointing out that it is getting better and more functional every year.
“The sports association has been supporting jumps for the past 15 years, and for the last two years, together with the City of Mostar, we have increased these activities, primarily financial, and we will continue to do so in the future,” concluded Kevelj.
The Old Bridge, a symbol of hatred and war, was built as the Bridge of Peace with the extraordinary commitment of the people of Mostar, and today it is the biggest tourist attraction in the city and the region.
After several years of renovation, Old Bridge was officially opened on this July 23rd in 2004. The opening ceremony of the renovated Old Bridge was held in the presence of numerous delegations, presidents of states, prime ministers, foreign ministers, members of the royal family and numerous representatives of international organizations and more than five hundred accredited journalists from around the world.
A full 19 years have passed since the Old Bridge in Mostar shone with its full glory and connected the banks of the Neretva for the second time. The opening of the restored Old Bridge was attended by a large number of guests from around the world, as many as 56 foreign delegations, and the then chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sulejman Tihić, said that the restoration was also a victory for peace and coexistence in Mostar and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The event on the plateau under the bridge was followed by more than 500 accredited journalists. The reconstruction initiative was initiated immediately after the end of the war by the then mayor of Mostar, Safet Oručević.
Support for the reconstruction soon arrived from other countries of the world. With the help of the American administration, donations for construction were delivered by France, the Netherlands, Italy, Croatia, the Aga Khan Foundation, Irsica, the Word monument fund and other institutions and individuals.
The project was taken over by the World Bank and UNESCO in partnership with the City of Mostar. Maja Popovac, a young architect from Mostar, played an important role in the renovation. It was, as she says, a turning point in her professional career.
“A big project and a big team of people. Every new day was a new school for me. When it comes to the work itself, bridges have been my focus since then. Mostar today has a monument that half the world wants to see, touch and step on. Despite human malice, the bridge meant a brighter future for our children and for us,” said Popovac.
A year after the restoration, the bridge was included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. The old bridge was built according to the designs of the Turkish architect Mimar Hajrudin between 1557 and 1566. It was demolished on November 9, 1993 by shells fired from the position of the Croatian Defense Council.
Recently, the Mostar Peace Center published footage of shelling from HVO positions.
