Most Balkan Countries Cheer Olympic Medal Scores

Several countries in the Balkans improved their Olympic scores or achieved even more notable successes at the Tokyo Games, with athletes responsible for the medals taking the centre stage in national celebrations.

The 13 countries of the region - Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Slovenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Albania - took home a total of 53 gold, silver or bronze medals.

Turkey achieved its best-ever Olympic score in Tokyo, and won the most medals out of all the Balkan countries with 13 - two golds, two silvers and nine bronzes.

Archer Mete Gazoz and boxer Busenaz Surmeli brought home two golds. Turkish female athletes won five medals in total and had an important role in Turkey's most successful games, winning the country's first medals in women's boxing and wrestling.

The Turkish assertive male wrestling team was more of a let-down, contrary to expectations, winning only two bronze medals. The female volleyball team was also a flop. It strived for much more but ultimately did not pass the quarter-finals.

Serbia also enjoyed considerable success in Tokyo, winning nine medals in total, a slight improvement on the eight it won in Rio in 2016. Three medals were gold, one silver and five bronze.

In team sports, Serbia's male water polo team won a gold and so retained the position it gained at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

In individual sports, golds were won in taekwondo by Milica Mandic and in karate by Jovana Prekovic. Mandic's neighbours in Belgrade gathered on Sunday to welcome her home, surprising her with a mural painted on her neighbourhood wall.

Serbia's water polo team celebrates the Olympic gold in Tokyo. Photo: Olympic...