Josip Varvodić has been elected as the new president of the Croatian Olympic Committee (HOC), bringing an end to Zlatko Mateša’s 25-year reign. Varvodić secured 81 votes at the extraordinary electoral assembly held at the Sheraton hotel in Zagreb, ensuring victory over his competitor Dragan Primorac, who received 68 votes. A minimum of 76 votes was required to elect the new president.

The elections were conducted by secret ballot in front of 46 representatives of Olympic sports, each entitled to two votes, as well as all 33 representatives of non-Olympic sport federations. Representatives of 21 county sports associations, along with three representatives each from the Club of Olympians and the Athletes’ Commission, were also present at the session.

The new president of the HOC, 41-year-old doctor Josip Varvodić, is a long-serving sports official. He brings decades of experience in sports administration to the role, currently serving as President of the Croatian Swimming Federation and First Vice President of European Aquatics.

He has served as a member of the World Aquatics Bureau since 2022, most recently securing a new term that runs through 2029.

Away from sport, Dr Varvodić also works as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Department of Cardiac and Transplantation Surgery at University Hospital Zagreb.

Varvodić is the fourth president in the 35-year history of the Croatian Olympic Committee after Antun Vrdoljak (1991-2000), Zdravko Hebel (2000-20002) and Zlatko Mateša (2002-2026).