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Žana Lelas

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Žana Lelas
Personal information
Born(1970-05-28)28 May 1970
Split, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Croatia)
Died15 September 2021(2021-09-15) (aged 51)
Split, Croatia
NationalityCroatian citizenship
Listed height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Listed weight70 kg (154 lb)
PositionCenter
Career history
0000Šibenik
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Yugoslavia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1988 Seoul Team
EuroBasket Women
Silver medal – second place 1991 Tel Aviv Team

Žana Lelas (28 May 1970 – 15 September 2021) was a Croatian professional basketball player. She represented Yugoslavia and Croatia in basketball and is regarded as one of few players to have represented two nations at international level. She was married to Vjekoslav Lokica, a renowned football coach.[1][2]

Career

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Zana Lelas was the winner of the bronze medal with the Yugoslavia U16 team at the 1987 FIBA European Championship. She was also the top scorer of the 1987 FIBA U-16 European Championship averaging 26.6 points per game.

Lelas was part of the Yugoslavian side that clinched the silver medal in the women's basketball competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics.[3][4][5] She was a key member of the Yugoslavia U19 side which emerged as runners-up to the Soviet Union at the 1989 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.[6] Lelas also secured a silver medal with the Yugoslavia side at the EuroBasket Women 1991 which was Yugoslavia's fourth loss in a EuroBasket final.[7]

Lelas played most of her matches representing Yugoslavia, but later in her career she represented Croatia at the EuroBasket Women 1995 where Croatia eventually made its EuroBasket tournament debut. She was the top scorer for ŽKK Croatia 2006 Zagreb in the 1995 Ronchetti Cup, averaging 20.9 points per game.[8]

After her retirement, she began coaching basketball at Žana Lelas Basketball Academy, which she founded in July 2016.[9]

Žana Lelas died on 15 September 2021 at the age of 51.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Tuga u Splitu: Proslavljena hrvatska košarkašica Žana Lelas tragično preminula" [Sadness in Split: Famous Croatian basketball player Žana Lelas tragically passed away]. vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. ^ "STRAŠNA TRAGEDIJA POTRESLA SPLIT Žana Lelas Lokica više nije među nama" [A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY Shook SPLIT Žana Lelas Lokica is no longer with us]. Dalmatinski portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  3. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Žana Lelas". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016.
  4. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Basketball at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games: Women's Basketball". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  5. ^ "1988 Olympic Games : Tournament for Women". FIBA. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  6. ^ Event Standings
  7. ^ "European Championship for Women 1991". FIBA Europe. 11 November 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  8. ^ "European Cup Liliana Ronchetti (1995)". FIBA Europe. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Tužna vijest iz Splita; tragično je preminula Žana Lelas, jedna od najuspješnjih hrvatskih košarkašica u povijesti" [Sad news from Split; Žana Lelas, one of the most successful Croatian basketball players in history, passed away tragically]. tportal.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Iz Splita stiže tužna vijest: Preminula Žana Lelas, jedna od najboljih hrvatskih košarkašica u povijesti" [Sad news arrives from Split: Žana Lelas, one of the best Croatian basketball players in history, has passed away]. Gol.hr (in Croatian). 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
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