Paris 2024: Four-time Paralympic medallist Duran leads team in quest for glory

Sitting volleyball star Mirzet Duran has won four Paralymic medals with Bosnia and Herzegovina. But he had to settle for a third place for the first time at Tokyo 2020.

Now the team captain is treating “every training session as the final of the Paralympic Games” as he is looking to get back to the top of the podium at Paris 2024. 

As we count down to the Paralympic Games, we caught up with Duran, who reflected on his sport career to date and shared his goals for Paris 2024 and beyond. 

How did you get into sitting volleyball?

I was wounded when I was six years old and wore a brace, so I was limited in some ways, but it didn't stop me from playing and enjoying sports like other kids. I didn't at all know about sitting volleyball until I met people from my current club.

I started playing sitting volleyball when I was 16 years old. My parents gave me the greatest support during that period, because they were aware that it might be the only sport, given my disability, in which I could succeed, and that's how everything started.

What has sitting volleyball meant for you? 

Volleyball, as well as sports in general, is something that has been an integral part of my life since my early school days. Especially volleyball stood out among those many sports. Although I became a disabled person very early on, it did not prevent me from being equal among my friends. Especially when I learned about sitting volleyball, a new love was born.

What do you think has made you a four-time Paralympic medallist?

First of all, dedication to the work I do. I see every training session as the final of the Paralympic Games and I always want to win. That's what I ask of my teammates, and I think we are a successful unit because we complement each other. 

How do you look back at your Paralympic debut at Beijing 2008? 

It was my first official competition for the national team and it will remain etched in my memory forever.

In the semifinal game against Russia, I remember that I played a very solid game, which led me to get more minutes in the final game against the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was a very nice memory, especially since the Paralympics were my first big competition.

What was different at London 2012?

Since Beijing I had played four domestic championships, two European championships and one World Championship, so by then my experience was significantly greater and this time it prevailed on our side.

In Beijing I occasionally entered the game and gained some experience. In London, I was declared the best spiker of the Paralympic Games. 

You won a gold medal in London, after beating the Islamic Republic of Iran 3-1 in the final. What did that mean for you? 

At the time, I really wasn't aware of how big it was. Now, when I look back and see how much I train and how much others invest in sports, I can only see that I am one of the few who have succeeded, especially taking into account the fact that so far only three national teams (Netherlands and Iran too) have won the Paralympic Games in men's sitting volleyball.

What were your thoughts when receiving the medal? And how did the gold medal change your life?

I traveled to the Paralympic Games the day before my son's first birthday, so I dedicated that medal to him.

Winning the gold medal certainly changed my life. After those Games, many things changed, we got many other sponsors, we got a new sports law that gave us certain benefits for winning medals.

In Rio 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina finished with a silver medal, losing to Iran in the final. How do you compare that silver medal to the first one you earned in Beijing?

It was two completely different pictures. At the Beijing Games I was a beginner, and at the Rio Games I was an experienced player. During that period, certain problems arose within the national team, there was mention of the change of coach and other things, so it affected us a lot, psychologically. 

There were many direct and indirect reasons for losing (in the final) but coming up and facing Mehrzad (Iran's two-time Paralympic gold medallist Morteza Mehrzadselakjani), is definitely one of the bigger reasons for our defeat.

How do you look back at Tokyo 2020, where you took bronze?

The Tokyo Games were special, especially since they had been postponed for a year. The story about the change of coach was still going on, and it culminated in us achieving the worst result at the Paralympic Games.

What are you aiming for at the Paris Games?

Considering that most of the players are still in the team since we won our first gold medal (at the European championships) in 1999, I think that entering the final would be a really big result for us. Of course, we will not give up our strive towards that.

Do you train any differently to be able to improve on your results from Tokyo? 

Since the games in Tokyo, there was a change of coach. After that, we got a completely new approach to training, recovery after matches, analysis of opponents and other things. After making those changes, we managed to win two European championships.

What is your biggest obstacle on the way to success in Paris? 

As for training conditions, travel, and everything else that goes along with this, our biggest opponent is age. The same players have been in the line up from 2008 to 2024. There is a lot of experience, but fresh players are also needed.

Do you have goals with your sport beyond Paris 2024?

Paris is definitely not the end. Once it gets under the skin, it is difficult to get rid of the addiction to volleyball. 

What does it mean to you to showcase the power of sport to others? 

It makes me happy that my children come to my training, to see that there are no limitations, regardless of whether it is a sport for people with disabilities or not. The children of almost all the players come and I hope we will be a good example if they one day decide to be successful in what they do, even if it is not sports. 

What other dreams do you have? 

After I stop playing volleyball, I will devote myself to landscaping the garden behind my house because that is what relaxes me. Of course, family comes first. Spending more time with them is invaluable because they were somehow neglected during the period when there are a large number of competitions during the year. 

Book your tickets for the Paralympic Games by visiting the Paris 2024 ticketing website.