From Serbia to Cronulla and now Tokyo Olympics for water polo’s Lena Mihailovic

When this young athlete landed in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla from Serbia she could barely speak English and didn’t know a soul. Now she’s on a quest for gold with her “besties’’.

She means business in the water but on land this Australian water polo player has an unusual side helping her chill from the rigours of an often brutal and bloody game.

Lena Mihailovic is fierce, fit and ferocious - three traits needed to be at the top of the water polo game.

But out of the pool the player from Sydney’s south has a more delicate touch than when playing one of the most physical sports at the Games.

Mihailovic, whose father Pedrag is the Australian Stingers women’s coach, started drawing and painting as a hobby but has been advised her work is good enough to sell.

Lena Mihailovic has the art of being a water polo player nailed. Pic: Supplied

“I paint, do some art and drawings,” said Mihailovic, who is a member of the famous Cronulla Sharks club.

“It’s more of a hobby but recently people have been asking me to sell them.

“I enjoy the painting and drawing. It’s relaxes me. Helps me switch off.”

Mihailovic said she and her father are able to separate their private relationship in “the workplace’’ where his word goes.

“We have built a relationship that we can separate our personal life when we need to,’’ she said. “That’s important because we spend a lot of time together.’'

While the sport is a family affair, it also helped Mihailovic find friends and assimilate when she arrived from Serbia as a teenager.

The Sydney player competing against Italy before the 2020 lockdown.

“We came to Australia in 2011 - straight to Cronulla,” said the now 24-year-old, who played her junior polo with the Serbian team and also spent six years living in Turkey.

“I could speak basic English but it wasn’t great. We moved quite a bit while I as growing up because dad was a professional player and then coach.

“But when I arrived I felt like Australia was home.

“I joined a water polo club straight away and I learned most of my English through my teammates. Now the girls I play with are like my family.’’

The right-handed driver will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo where the Stingers are chasing medal success after a bronze at the 2019 world championships in Korea and bronze medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively.

Water polo is one of the early competition at the Games with Australia playing Canada in their initial match on July 24.

Originally published as From Serbia to Cronulla and now Tokyo Olympics for water polo’s Lena Mihailovic