Croatia suffers a huge loss, Former National team gymnast Darijo Moznik passes away
The Croatian gymnastics community faced a great loss on November 22, 2011, with the passing away of coach Darijo Moznik.
A mere 18 days ago, Darijo Moznik was celebrating his birthday. He turned 22 on November 5 this year.
Nobody could have suspected in their wildest imagination that it was the last time Darijo will blow the candles amidst birthday cheer.
Darijo Moznik’s death was sudden, and came as a shock to everyone, especially the ones who were closest to him. The causes of his death are still unknown.
On the eve of his death, Darijo had gone to take some rest before the Real Madrid Vs Dinamo game.
Elder brother, gymnast Marijo Moznik and Croatian National team coach Tigran Goricki, were at the fitness center in Nedelisce with the Croatian gymnastics team at that time. They discovered that Darijo was not breathing during the half time.
“We were left without a great gymnast, a friend, a great man,” Tigran Goricki said.
Darijo entered the field of gymnastics at the tender age of eight. In time, he accelerated his gymnastics performance and the world saw him performing at the European Championships in 2008.
He was an international senior elite and was a member of the National Gymnastics team of Croatia. In 2009, however, Darijo sustained an injury which spelled the end of his career as an active gymnast.
Following his withdrawal, still fuelled by the passion for the sport, Darijo decided to become a gymnastics trainer. He also turned his attention towards his academics and enrolled at the University of Zegreb.
His major, at college level, was Kinesiology. As a diligent student, Darijo had spent the last few weeks of his life studying for an upcoming exam that he never got to take.
The gymnast had multiple national championships accolades to his claim and he represented the Croatian gymnastics club by the name of Sokol.
Darijo’s favourite gymnastics apparatus was the pommel horse. It was his passion coupled with his optimistic unrelenting spirit which, even after withdrawal, kept his hopes alive for a comeback. He wanted to return to competition as a pommel horse specialist.
His gymnastics career was driven by love for the sport rather than blind ambition. A memorable example of this was his loud, morale-boosting cheer for senior national gymnasts from his team during the European Championships.
His ecstatic behaviour would have fooled anyone into believing that it was he who won the bronze and silver, rather than Robert Seligman and Filip Ude who actually did.
Our condolences go to Darijo’s family and loved ones, the entire gymnastics community shares their loss for Darijo Moznik was a well-mannered, sincere and warm-hearted person and a talented gymnast. He leaves behind a void in many lives and hearts.
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