FANTELA Sime

General
SWITCHING CLASS
Having won titles in the 470 class at the Olympic Games, the class world championships, and the European championships, he decided to switch to the 49er class and team up with his brother Mihovil. "Early in 2017 we started training together and the first regatta we competed in as team was in June of the same year. After the Olympic Games in Rio, I decided I needed a change and I started thinking what to do. The 49er class was the logical choice for me so I decided to do it with my brother Mihovil because he was perfect for that class. He's strong, tall, he's physically ready for it because he's been competing in RS:X. We were the perfect combination for the 49er class." (sailingeurope.com, 26 Sep 2019; starsailors.com. 16 Feb 2018; redbull.com, 01 Jan 2018)

ROAD TO TOKYO
The boat he and his brother will compete in at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo is called '10,000'. "We named it '10,000' because it's the number of training hours to Tokyo. It's symbolic," his brother Mihovil said. (24sata.hr, 13 Aug 2018)

OTHER ROLES
He is a member of the athletes' commission at the Croatian Olympic Committee. (hssrm.hr, 21 Sep 2020)

He and his crewmate Igor Marenic became the first sailors representing Croatia to win gold at the Olympic Games by claiming victory in the 470 class at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. The pair were also the first Croatian sailors to win gold at the 470 class world championships, triumphing at the 2009 edition of the tournament in Copenhagen, Denmark. (SportsDeskOnline, 15 Jan 2020; croatiaweek.com, 18 Aug 2016; jutarnji.hr, 29 Aug 2009; optiworld.org, 19 Nov 2007)