24/06/2019 09:00
Meet the superstars – Brankica Mihajlović
News from the National Federations
Belgrade, Serbia, June 24, 2019. Brankica Mihajlović is one of the most successful players of the past few years – with a record of nine medals with the Serbian national team - 2 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze ones. She was a silver medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the Best Outside Hitter of the tournament. She won gold at the 2018 World Championship, and silver at the 2015 FIVB World Cup, where she was the Best Outside Hitter of the competition as well. Her resume includes 2 medals from the FIVB World Grand Prix (2013, 2017) as well as bronze and gold from the 2015 and 2017 editions of the European Championship. Such a terrific CV is not yet complete as Brankica won bronze at the Baku 2015 European Games and in the 2012 edition of the European League as well.
You have been playing now for seven years in the national team, the first medal came in 2013 at the FIVB World Grand Prix, but in the end, that year was not so fortunate for you?
I remember that I injured myself at the European Championship and we lost the bronze medal match. It was disappointing, but it happens. Soon I got better.
When you look back at this period from 2012 and the first medal in 2013 all the way until now, what do you feel?
It was very nice, and very demanding. We became closer as a group, like a true family. We grew as a team continuously. We won bronze at the 2015 European Championship, the first one for me in this competition and it got even better in 2016 and 2017, and last year we became the World Champions. So, from my point of view, only success, on all levels.
Speaking of 2015, at that time you were actually the most successful team in the world with three medals. Bronze at the European Games in Baku, bronze at the European Championship, and in the end silver at the World Cup in Japan.
Oh, yes! I almost forgot about that! That World Cup in Japan was maybe the most difficult competition for us, with 11 matches in 14 days. We finished second, behind China but in front of the USA. It was unbelievable and so stressful. We did great, I remember and surely, it was a turning point for us. After that, we became the Olympic silver medallists and we began climbing to the top of the world.
You mentioned friendship, every year you spend at least five months together with the team and the rest of the players. Who are your best friends in the national team?
It would not be fair to single out somebody from the team because they all are great. Maybe, I spend more time with Tijana Malešević, Bojana Živković, Jovana Stevanović and Milena Rašić, but really I have warm relationships with everyone, with the older girls and with those who just joined us. We have a truly nice and unique atmosphere in the team.
It is known that most of the athletes have some kind of rituals that they practice before the matches. How about you?
Tijana Malešević and I know each other since 2010 or 2011, and we started together in the team, we are roommates, and yes, we have something going on before the matches, but I would prefer to keep it as a secret (laughs).
When you look back at the World Championship in Japan, what do you feel?
It is still vivid. To be honest I often go to YouTube to watch replays of the final points in the gold medal match. We are the World Champions, and it is great but you always have to look forward, and come up with new goals. So now, we have the Olympic qualifier and the European Championship, and that is something we need to focus on and forget about anything else.
Your ambitions are always very high. What do you think now, about this season?
I am glad that we have the opportunity to introduce new players in this year’s VNL, so us, I mean the older and more experienced girls, we get to rest a little bit. Mid-July we have to start working hard for the Olympic qualifier and the European Championship, so we need to be very focused and prepare well. Maybe we do not like long preparations, but this formula has proven successful, so we should continue doing what we did in the previous years and I am sure that the results will follow.
You are missing only the Olympic gold. Is this your primary goal?
Yes, definitely. We came so close in 2016, and that is something that each of us is eager to win but it is still too far away, as we have not qualified for Tokyo yet.
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