Croatia's track and field Paralympians are ready to compete

Croatia's track and field Paralympic team is competing in the Paris Games with a blend of seasoned athletes and emerging stars, aiming to bring home a haul of medals. From a Paralympian who overcame paralysis to a world record-breaking shot put newcomer, each athlete on the team is determined to win gold.

Ivan Katanusic, a leading figure in Croatian Paralympic sports, is among the team's top medal hopes. When the 33-year-old steps into the throwing circle, he sees the discus as both a friend and a foe.

"When I have the discus in my hand, I see him as an enemy, so I just throw far," Katanusic said.

Katanusic's resume includes a silver medal in the discus event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and multiple medals at the World Para Athletics and European Championships. For this year's Olympic Games, he believes Croatia's mix of experienced and emerging athletes is their strength.

"I hope we, as Paralympians, can win a minimum of seven medals," Katanusic said.

Born with a limb deficiency, Katanusic had his leg amputated shortly after birth and learned to walk with a prosthesis at just 13 months old. He later competed in sports alongside non-disabled athletes.

"I have to thank my mother and my father because they never looked at me as a disabled person," Katanusic said.

On the same field, Velimir Sandor is dreaming big for the Paris Games. In 2006, Sandor's life changed dramatically after a car accident left him partially paralyzed.

"I always played sports, but I never dreamed that after this, I would be a professional," Sandor said.

Paris will be Sandor's third Paralympics. The 38-year-old won silver in the men's discus throw at Tokyo 2020 and bronze in the same event at Rio 2016. 

These Paralympians have chosen Medulin, Croatia, where the weather is ideal, as their practice ground. They train six days a week, five hours a day, and say they are in optimal shape, ready to bring home medals.

Joining the seasoned veterans is Erik Fabian Kaurin, a rising star in para-athletics. At just 23 years old, Kaurin recently set a world record in the F46 discus throw at the Zagreb Open.

"When I was four years old, I was watching TV with my mother and the Paralympics were on, and I said to my mother, someday I'm going to be there," Kaurin said.

For Kaurin and his teammates, the Paralympics in Paris is the culmination of their dreams and years of hard work, and their chance to etch their names in history.

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