A dislocated shoulder may have derailed Roko Farkas’ original plans at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, but the young Croatian athlete still managed to soar to victory in the long jump.
At the beginning of the season, Farkas, 19, was aiming for success in the decathlon—his specialty event where he holds the Croatian U20 record with 7,300 points. But things took an unexpected turn during a training session in Budapest in mid-July. While warming up for the long jump, Farkas over-rotated and landed awkwardly in a sand pit that hadn’t been properly raked. His left shoulder hit a raised mound, causing it to dislocate.
“I could see my shoulder jutting out and knew it couldn’t stay like that,” Farkas recalled. Without hesitation, he popped it back into place on his own. “No one ever expects something like that to happen in the long jump.”
With just six weeks to go before the World U20 Championships, Farkas had already qualified for multiple events: the decathlon, 200m, 400m, 110m hurdles, and long jump. However, the injury forced him to withdraw from the decathlon. After resting for two weeks, he resumed light training, focusing exclusively on the long jump.
His coach, Patrik Koscak, believed that despite the setback, Farkas’s best shot at a medal was in the long jump. “We thought the long jump would be the tightest competition, and we had the best shot there,” Farkas said.
Their decision proved wise. In the qualification round, Farkas set a new Croatian U20 and U23 long jump record, leaping 8.15 meters and adding an impressive 43cm to his previous personal best. In the final, he went even further, jumping 8.17 meters with the help of a 2.4m/s tailwind—the longest jump in the competition’s history. This secured him the gold, outjumping Serbia’s Luka Boskovic by 24cm.
Was he expecting such long distances? “Not at all,” Farkas admitted. “We thought maybe 7.80m or 7.90m would be enough for silver, but 8.15m in qualification stunned me. And then 8.17m in the final—it was unbelievable.”
This victory is a major achievement in Farkas’s athletic career, which began 13 years ago. Growing up in Nedelišće, Croatia, Farkas initially competed in sprints and long jump before turning to the decathlon in his teenage years after realizing his potential across multiple disciplines.
In 2022, Farkas placed 11th in the decathlon at the European U18 Championships, setting a Croatian U18 record with 7,120 points. That same year, he represented Croatia in the 100m and 200m at the World U20 Championships in Colombia.
His rise has continued in 2024. He broke the Croatian U20 decathlon record with 7,300 points and also set new Croatian U20 indoor records in the 60m and 200m. Making his senior debut, Farkas broke the Croatian senior 200m record with a time of 20.70 seconds at the European Championships in Rome.
Balancing both his decathlon training and his kinesiology studies at the University of Zagreb is no easy feat for Farkas. “It’s tough managing 10 events over two days,” he explained. “We often do two, three, or four events in a single training session. It’s a grueling process, and not many people can handle it.”
When it comes to inspiration, Farkas looks up to one athlete in particular: French decathlete Kevin Mayer. “There’s only one answer: Kevin Mayer. I’ve always wanted to emulate his achievements.”
Although his recent success in the long jump has opened new doors, Farkas is not ready to leave the decathlon behind. “The decathlon is my first love, and I’m going to stick with it,” he said.
Farkas is already setting his sights on improving his decathlon performance, particularly in the discus and pole vault. “We’ve been working a lot on the discus, and pole vault is definitely not my strong suit. But the good thing about technical events is that you can improve them quickly.”
With his Lima performance securing him a spot at next year’s European Indoor Championships, Farkas is poised for further success on the international stage. While an injury forced him to switch gears this time, his determination and versatility have set him up for a bright future in both the decathlon and long jump.
