LONDON – Stipe Zunic's shot put bronze medal stunned just about everyone, even his coaches, at the IAAF World Championships.
For starters, Zunic entered Sunday (Aug. 6) night's final ranked No. 13 in the world. By that ranking, the fact he automatically advanced through Saturday's qualifying, in his first World Championships no less, was a slight surprise.
But Zunic seemingly always performs his best in the biggest meets, against who he refers to as "the giants" of international shot put throwing. Such competitions create the most adrenaline for him, and given his impressive history in another sport, it is no shocker he uses the rush to his advantage.
"I trained before in kickboxing … was a world junior champion," Zunic said in the medal press conference. "When you step in a ring and someone tries to knock you out, it's a different kind of adrenaline. This event, I need more people, I need more adrenaline, because I use it really good, as I showed tonight."
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Talk about an adrenaline rush. (Photo: Kirby Lee)
Yes, Zunic was indeed a world junior kickboxing champion.
Once track and field scholarship offers rolled in from American universities, though, he gave it up. While Zunic loved kickboxing, he decided his future was as a thrower. A desire to enjoy a more peaceful life also factored into his decision. (He eventually chose Florida, moving to Gainesville in 2010.)
Most unbelievable of all, though: Zunic was a two-time first-team All-America javelin thrower five years ago. He was within two meters of the Olympic 'B' standard in 2012 before reconstructive shoulder and elbow surgeries derailed his London aspirations  Zunic redshirted for the Gators' 2013 season and, under the direction of associate head coach
Steve Lemke, transitioned full-time to the shot put that fall.
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Zunic finished fourth (2011) and seventh (2012) at NCAA Outdoor Championships in the javelin as an underclassman. (Photo: Cheryl Treworgy)
Adding another layer of perspective to this transition: Frans Bosch, a Dutch trainer, wrote in his book, "Strength Training and Coordination: An Integrative Approach", thrusting (shot put) and throwing (javelin) movements are "so fundamentally different … there are no athletes that excel in both javelin throwing and shot putting."
Zunic's personal record was a mere 17.39 meters (57 feet, 0.75 inches), mostly because the body composition and strength required for the javelin and shot put are extreme opposites. Zunic altered his diet and substantially upped his caloric intake. In two years, he bulked up from 220 pounds to 286.
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Zunic's new diet enabled him to add weight and take on the traditional form a shot put thrower. (Photo: Tim Casey)
He excelled in his final two seasons at Florida, breaking the indoor and outdoor school records and winning the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships. He went on to make the Olympics in 2016 with former Florida teammate Kemal Mesic, finishing 11th in the final.
This season, he broke the Croatian record (twice). His top throw Sunday was 21.46 meters (70 feet, 5 inches), just two centimeters off his national record.
Martin Maric, who Zunic trains with four months a year in Virginia, credits Florida and Coach Lemke for Zunic's remarkable transition from the javelin to the shot.
"University of Florida is definitely the reason why he is where he is right now," Maric said. "They took care of him … and (he) came back a shot putter. Coach Lemke did a great job with Stipe."
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Oh, and that medal, it was the first by a Croatian man -- in any event -- at the World Championships. Zunic could hardly find the words to put his historic achievement into context.
"It's amazing. It's unreal," he said. "Emotions are huge now. I'm just waiting for everything to settle down. It's big. It's a huge blessing."
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Zunic's coach in Croatia, Marko Mastellic, believes this could do great things for track and field within the country, where there is little competition for Zunic. Coupled with the fact Croatia's weather is often unsuitable for training, Zunic spends the majority of his season training in Florida and Virginia rather than his home country.
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He did spend five months training in Croatia earlier this year, though. And on what was a chilly night in London Stadium, Zunic's training in the cool Croatian weather made him feel right at home.
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Back in the United States, his Gator family gushed with pride. The outpouring of support and congratulations on social media from his former teammates was tremendous.
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Lemke followed the entire competition, and was just as shocked as everyone else Zunic held on for a medal. "Very proud of Stipe," Lemke said via text message. "Getting a medal in what was probably the deepest World Championships shot put final is phenomenal. Stipe has always been at his best in big competitions, and he proved that again (Sunday)."
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Going forward, Zunic will turn his attention to the coveted 22-meter mark. Gold medalist Tom Walsh said in the press conference Zunic was certainly strong enough to reach it, and could possibly challenge the world record one day.
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Doesn't sound like Zunic will catch anyone by surprise again.
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