After a break of 21 years, Macedonia re-entered the list of winners of medals at the Summer Olympics, and a new sports hero is Dejan Georgievski.
The 22-year-old taekwondo fighter is an Olympic runner-up, Georgievski won the silver medal in the over 80kg category at the Tokyo Games after losing to Vladislav Larin in the final.

After the euphoria subsided, "Free Press" talked to the man who achieved the greatest success at the Olympic Games since Macedonia's independence.

- I am aware of what we did. And we have brought historically, the greatest success for our country. I'm glad I did that, but at the same time, I'm sorry that no one has had this or a similar success before, but I'm sure many young people will now be convinced that they can do great things too. results - says Dejan, for whom a spectacular reception was organized in Skopje after his arrival.

- When I saw how many people gathered, and before that and how many messages arrived on my phone, I was delighted with everything they prepared for me and I want to thank them for their great support. I am happy because I managed to unite the whole Macedonian people for one beautiful thing. Let us all be positive and I hope that in the future we will gather as often as possible for such things.

VIDEO + PHOTO: Spectacular welcome for the silver Olympian Dejan Georgievski

Dejan is leaving for the Tokyo Games confidently, announcing winning a medal, betting on the gold, and those announcements to the sports fans in Macedonia seemed unrealistic.

- We were all convinced, me and my coaches that we can bring a medal and we had no dilemma. That is why we announced such a thing - says Dejan who realized the promise and although he was not gold, he brought an Olympic silver medal in Skopje and Macedonia.

- The results I achieved in the previous few years gave us the right to hope, but also to know that we can get a medal. With the victory in the qualifiers in Sofia when I defeated the then Olympic champion Radik Isaev we were sure, the coach was 100 percent convinced that we would win a medal. What we announced and achieved, unfortunately, was not a gold medal, but I am sure that we will bring gold at the next Olympics.

As he "fought" in Tokyo and approached the goal, so did Georgievski's family and friends follow his struggles in one breath.

- The first fight in Macedonian time was at 6.45 am, then there were too many people at my house. I thought only my loved ones would be there and watch the fight, but when they sent me footage it was amazing. My mother said it was unexpected, there were too many people at home. Then for the final everyone went to see the gym in Butel where we train. It is a special feeling of theirs. I am sure that the support of all Macedonians was sincere and from the heart. I did not use the phone that day, so I had no pressure from the side and could only focus on the fights.

The coaches said that there is no Macedonian who does not look down, and I felt that energy. When I made it to the finals, I knew my phone was full of messages. Their support meant a lot to me.

Georgievski's first "victim" was the current world champion Rafael Alba from Cuba, then Sejdu Gbane from Ivory Coast was defeated to defeat the "magician" Don Kyo In from South Korea in the semifinals.

- Somehow I did not care, I did not think who is my first, who is second, who is my third opponent. After we won the first fight, the next opponent was no longer important to me because the best 16 taekwondo fighters in the world were in the tournament. We saw the fights as special obstacles to the main goal, and that was a fight for a medal. We prepare for the opponents one by one, my coach prepared tactics for the rivals, and I went round after round. We all stayed focused until the end and reached the final - Dejan Georgievski speaks, who together with his coaches Borce and Darko Kostovski noticed how the respect from his opponents was increasing from fight to fight, even though it was an Olympic tournament where the best 16 taekwondo fighters in the over 80 kg category were.

- It is possible that they looked at me with different eyes because I secured a place at the Olympics in Tokyo with a victory over the taekwondo legend Isaev. They watched us work on the warm-up, how we prepared for the fights and I'm sure they didn't care. They may have expected the Cuban Alba to beat me in the first round, but when I managed to beat him, they already started to think differently. I'm sure you imagined it would be even harder in the next fights.

Although he is only 22 years old and has a bright future ahead of him, Georgievski showed maturity and calmness at the same time as he defeated his opponents. He did not allow his emotions to overwhelm him, and with the ideal implementation of the tactics set by the coach Borce Kostovski, the fight for a medal took place.

- Before the semifinal I wanted to win so much, but I had to stay calm and not let my emotions overwhelm me, so that the fear of victory does not appear. I went to Tokyo in order to beat everyone, I did not care who was from where. I also entered the final with the desire to win, I had three victories before, but unfortunately it turned out that it turned out, I lost. Hello, next time I will win - says Dejan.

Another moment that will remain in the memory of the 22-year-old taekwondo fighter is the solemn opening ceremony of the Games, at which Georgievski was the flag bearer.

- It was a special feeling, the whole world is watching you through the TV screens. Although there was no audience in the stands, there were still too many people at the Olympic Stadium. When the Macedonian delegation came out, I raised the flag high to see where we were from. It was a great honor for me to be a flag bearer and such, that we represented Macedonia at the highest level. The moment we walked to the stadium could not be described.

The Olympic runner-up does not intend to rest at all and immediately began preparations for the upcoming trials such as the President Cup, but also the performance at the World Cup in China, but also the main goal, securing the norm for the next Olympics in Paris where Dejan announces a new medal, but not just one. Georgievski expects that there will be more taekwondo fighters at the next Olympics who will ensure the Olympic norm, and among them is the younger sister Anamaria.

- Now I almost lost the gold, but at the next Olympics I will be more experienced, I will have more fights and I am convinced that I will bring a medal from there as well. I am sure that my sister will perform at the Paris Games, as well as Philip who was with us in Tokyo as a sparring partner. Just to serve our health, to avoid injuries, and in Paris we will have more representatives, there will be a bigger delegation and a team that will compete and we will go for medals - are the words of the Macedonian sports hero, taekwondo fighter Dejan Georgievski.

Georgievski is the 11th Macedonian to win a medal at the Olympics