Momčilo Tapavica

Momčilo Tapavica (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Тапавица; Hungarian: Tapavicza Momcsilló [ˈtɒpɒvit͡sɒ ˈmomt͡ʃilloː]; 14 October 1872 – 10 January 1949) was an all-around sportsperson, competing in tennis, weightlifting, wrestling.[1] Tapavica achieved his best result in tennis by winning the singles bronze medal at the 1896 Summer Olympics, making him the first ethnic Serb,[2] Slav and Hungarian citizen to win an Olympic medal. After his sporting career Tapavica became a well-known architect.[3]

Momčilo Tapavica
Momcsilló Tapavicza

Personal information
Born	14 October 1872 Nádalja, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary
Died	10 January 1949 (aged 76) Pula, PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia
Sport
Country	Hungary
Sport	Tennis, weightlifting, wrestling
Medal record Men's Tennis Representing  Hungary Olympic Games 1896 Athens Singles
Updated on 1 October 2013.

Sports career

Tapavica, an ethnic Serb, was born in Nádalja, Kingdom of Hungary (now Nadalj, Serbia) in 1872. He began to practise sports in Újvidék (Novi Sad), continuing his training in Budapest, where he studied architecture and civil engineering at the Technical College. His performances excelled and he was selected in the Hungarian team for the first Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, where he competed in tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.[4]

At the 1896 Summer Olympics, Tapavica, being the lone tennis player in Hungary's Olympic Team,[5] won the bronze medal in the singles tennis tournament.

In the first round, he defeated D. Frangopoulos of Greece. The second round gave him a bye, subsequently Dionysios Kasdaglis of Egypt beat Tapavica in the semifinal, and with no playoff for third place he shared bronze medal honors with Greek Konstantinos Paspatis. Tapavica was the first ethnic Serb to win an Olympic medal, as well as the first – and to date the only – Hungarian to win a medal in tennis at the Olympic Games.[6] He did not compete in the doubles tournament.

In weightlifting, Tapavica overextended himself, which caused him a shoulder injury and eventually finished last of the six competitors in the two-handed weightlifting, now known as the clean and jerk. Two days later, still unhealed, Tapavica was defeated in the first round of the wrestling competition by Stephanos Christopoulos. The two were nearly evenly matched, but Tapavica tired first and conceded.[4]

After the Olympic Games, Tapavica never again participated in competitive events, however he continued to do recreational sports, such as athletics, gymnastics and rowing. For many years he was a member of the Újvidék-based rowing club Danubius.[7]

Architecture achievements

Matica srpska building in Novi Sad

After his graduation, Tapavica remained in Budapest for a shorter period before returning to Újvidék. In 1908, for the invitation of Nicholas I of Montenegro, Tapavica went to Montenegro, where he designed several buildings. Among his notable works from this period are the German Embassy and National Bank in Cetinje, and the building of Boka Hotel in Herceg Novi, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1979. The building of the Matica srpska in Novi Sad, erected by the plans of Tapavica, was finished in 1912.[7]

Upon the outbreak of World War I, Tapavica first emigrated to Austria-Hungary, and later through Rome and Lausanne he ended up in Morocco. While in Morocco, he joined the French Foreign Legion and became friends with Spain's future dictator Francisco Franco.[7]

After the war he returned to Novi Sad, where he ran his own architectural design company and actively participated in discussions about the urban planning of the city. Following World War II, in 1948, he moved to Poreč, where he significantly contributed to the rebuilding of the war-torn city. He died in 1949 in Pula.[7]

Legacy

Monument dedicated to Momčilo Tapavica in Novi Sad

His life is the subject of a 2016 documentary Tapavica directed by Milan Todorović.[8] A bust is bestowed in his honor in Novi Sad.[9]

See also

• List of Serbian architects

References

1. "Momčilo Tapavica". Olympedia. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
2. "10 naših olimpijskih heroja". Nedeljnik. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
3. "Momčilo Tapavica Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
4. "Zanimljiva istorija: Momčilo Tapavica, naš prvi osvajač olimpijske medalje u tenisu" (in Serbian). Blic. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
5. "Hungary Tennis at the 1896 Athina Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
6. "Tapavicza Momcsilló 112 esztendeje vár egy hölgy partnerre…" (in Hungarian). Nemzeti Sport. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
7. "Momčilo Tapavica, uspešni sportista i arhitekta" (in Serbian). Topsrbija. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
8. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5634852/
9. Vojvodine, Javna medijska ustanova JMU Radio-televizija. "Otkrivena spomen bista Momčila Tapavice". JMU Radio-televizija Vojvodine. Retrieved 18 April 2020.

External links

• Tapavica - documentary movie