Mihaljevic Earns Bronze at World Indoor Championships

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March 18, 2016

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PORTLAND, Ore.-Virginia redshirt-sophomore Filip Mihaljevic earned a bronze medal in the shot put at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Friday night (March 18) at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore.

Representing Croatia, Mihaljevic launched a personal-best throw and an ACC and UVA-record mark of 20.87m (68′ 5.75″) on his fifth attempt. Tomas Walsh of New Zealand earned the gold with a mark of 21.78m (71′ 5.5″), while Andrei Gag of Romania took home the silver with a heave of 20.89m (68′ 6.5″). It is Mihaljevic’s first senior international medal. He won gold in the shot put at the 2015 European Under-23 Championships.

“I loved the facilities here,” Mihaljevic said. “I have been down to Eugene (Oregon) for NCAAs and the energy here was very similar. I came in hoping for a personal record and I got that and a bronze medal, so you can’t really ask for more.”

“What an accomplishment for Filip,” UVA director of track and field Bryan Fetzer said. “Less than a week after winning a silver medal at the NCAA Championships with all of the emotion of that, to come back and throw a lifetime best and earn bronze is incredible. It shows how much he has developed as a competitor. He is a special one for sure.”

Mihaljevic finished second in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships last Saturday (March 12) in Birmingham, Ala. It was Mihaljevic’s fourth career first-team All-America performance. He is a five-time ACC Champion, including the 2016 indoor shot put crown.

In other action, former UVA standout Payton Hazzard represented Grenada in the 400 meters and placed 20th in 47.61.