Duje Draganja (born 27 February 1983 in Split) is a
swimmer from Croatia who won the silver medal in the
men's 50 meter freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece.
Draganja is also a former NCAA record holder in the
100 yard freestyle, with a time of 41.49, set in
2005, while he swam for the University of
California, Berkeley. He, like many other
world-class, non-American swimmers, chose to spend 4
years training and competing at an American
university. During his four years with Cal, Duje won
10 PAC-10 swimming titles, and eight NCAA National
championships. While at Cal, he trained with the
world-renown sprinting coach Michael Bottom, who
still coaches him now.
He has been controversial in Croatia for his
decision to take the citizenship of Qatar and
continue his swimming career under the flag of that
country, after receiving a very lucrative offer to
do so. Croatian public opinion largely turned
against Draganja at that time with the press
portraying him as a villain with no respect for his
homeland. Draganja accepted a Qatar passport in
August 2005 claiming that he will keep his Croatian
passport and will not change his religion.
However, in February 2006, the swimmer made it clear
that he had reversed his decision and that he will
continue to compete for his country of birth,
Croatia.
