NOC Montenegro and SIRO Boka Place, Silver Partner and Official Hotel of Team Montenegro, have launched an institutional Athlete Recovery and Regeneration Programme as part of preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. This marks the first time that Montenegrin athletes on the Olympic pathway have access to a systematic recovery programme within a unique wellness and sports destination in the region.
The programme is intended for NOC Montenegro scholarship holders in individual sports, as well as athletes from team sports with the potential to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. During a five-day stay at SIRO Boka Place, athletes are provided with a comprehensive support package, including accommodation in restorative rooms designed for optimal sleep and recovery, access to fitness facilities, swimming pool, cryotherapy, sports massages, red light therapy, and nutritional support based on organic, locally sourced ingredients tailored to the individual needs of each athlete.
The Importance of Athlete Recovery Programmes
In elite sport, success is not built solely on training and talent, but also on the quality of recovery. Training periodisation, injury prevention, sleep quality, nutrition and mental health are not luxuries, but essential components of Olympic preparation. Through this programme, NOC Montenegro has introduced a significant shift in the preparation of Montenegrin athletes: from reactive to preventive approaches, from ad hoc support to a systematic model, and from focusing exclusively on training processes to caring for the overall wellbeing of the athlete.
Confirmation of Systematic Investment and Athlete Care
Over the past several years, NOC Montenegro has developed a support ecosystem encompassing scholarships, athlete safeguarding, educational programmes, strategic partnerships, and a systematic approach to recovery and wellbeing. This programme forms part of the wider NOC Montenegro Strategy for preparation towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“When we speak about preparation for the Olympic Games, we usually think of training sessions, sparring, competitions and everything visible on the court, in the pool, on the track or in the gym. However, elite performance is not created only during the hours of greatest effort, but also in what follows afterwards. Recovery, sleep, proper nutrition and regeneration are not secondary parts of preparation, but equally important components of it. Our responsibility is to create conditions in which an athlete can not only train properly, but also recover properly, protect their health, withstand the pressure of major competitions and be ready to deliver their best when it matters most,” emphasised Dušan Simonović, President of NOC Montenegro, following the stay of the first athletes who experienced the programme last week.
Alexander Savva, Fitness Director at SIRO Boka Place, highlighted what SIRO represents for athletes preparing for major competitions. “SIRO is not just fitness. Our philosophy is based on five pillars: fitness, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness and recovery. When competition day arrives, in the end everything comes down to mental readiness, and that is built throughout the entire preparation process. When you integrate these five pillars, you achieve the right focus on competition day, when it matters most.”
Athlete Experiences
Last week, SIRO Boka Place hosted taekwondo athletes Andrea Berišaj and Anđela Berišaj, taekwondo athletes Zinedin Bećović, Vasilije Nestorović and Vasilije Peruničić together with coach Vlado Stanišić. Although the programme was designed as part of preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, NOC Montenegro also extended support through SIRO Boka Place to Aleksandar Grbović, member of Team Montenegro at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, and his coach Matic Gracer, contributing to his recovery and the beginning of a new preparation cycle.
Anđela Berišaj, taekwondo athlete and NOC Montenegro scholarship holder, stressed that mental strength is equally important, perhaps even more important than physical strength. “There are still two years until the Olympic Games in Los Angeles — at first glance that seems like a long time, but time passes very quickly. We have enormous support from NOC Montenegro and from their sponsors, SIRO Hotel. This hotel has truly provided everything we need, everything every athlete needs, especially during preparations ahead of competitions.”
Her younger sister, taekwondo athlete, NOC Montenegro scholarship holder and Montenegro’s Best Female Athlete for 2025, Andrea Berišaj, spoke about the Olympic Games with particular emotion, emphasising that they are “the dream of every athlete and the ultimate goal, but those big stages are extremely unforgiving. Sport at that level is not beautiful at all — it is very harsh and demanding. We may appear fearless, but we fight invisible battles within ourselves, and in those battles we need support.”
During their stay at SIRO Boka Place, the athletes also had the opportunity to dedicate additional attention to nutrition. This was confirmed by taekwondo athlete and NOC Montenegro scholarship holder Vasilije Peruničić: “I monitor my nutrition throughout the entire year because it is equally important both for my weight category and for muscle recovery, energy and everything else. The food here is excellent — everything is clearly displayed in terms of calories, fats and proteins, which is extremely important for us before competitions.”
While staying at the hotel during the final stage of preparations for the European Championships, where he is competing this week, taekwondo athlete and NOC Montenegro scholarship holder Zinedin Bećović highlighted the importance of programmes like this for athletes, as well as his hopes for a third Olympic appearance. “The Olympic Games are every athlete’s dream, and they are my dream as well. I have twice come close to qualifying for the Olympic Games. I hope that with these preparations, which we started early and have practically been working on since the beginning of the year towards the next Olympic Games, the third attempt will be much better. At SIRO, I practically did not need to think about anything else. My focus was entirely on training, recovery, training, recovery and training again.”
This was echoed by the youngest athlete among them, taekwondo athlete and NOC Montenegro scholarship holder Vasilije Nestorović: “The conditions for training, recovery and competition preparation are all at the highest level here. This really helps athletes because they can focus entirely on training and recovery. There are still many tournaments and preparation phases ahead of us before Los Angeles.”
Montenegrin Olympian Aleksandar Grbović competed at this year’s Winter Olympic Games and is now in a recovery phase which, as he says, represents half of the training process. “An Olympic season, especially because of the Games themselves, when athletes prepare the most and everyone hopes to be in peak form during the Olympic Games, is an extremely difficult and demanding cycle. Staying at SIRO has brought me a lot because it is truly a top-class complex and hotel with everything an athlete needs. Here I have almost all the necessary conditions regarding massages, recovery, saunas and nutrition, which is extremely important. This cooperation between NOC Montenegro and SIRO is truly very important for all athletes because this is how top-level results are achieved.”
By the end of 2026, the programme will also include the women’s national handball team, swimming team and judo team — involving more than 40 athletes and members of coaching staff. Stays will be organised in several phases throughout the year, aligned with competition calendars and training periodisation.
Continuous Support – Investing in the Future
The recovery programme at SIRO Boka Place is not an isolated project, but one of the pillars of the comprehensive system that NOC Montenegro is building for preparation towards Los Angeles 2028. Alongside the recovery programme, all potential Montenegrin Olympians are included in the LA28 Preparation Programme, which encompasses advanced sports diagnostics, individualised nutrition plans based on metabolic testing, monitoring of workload and health parameters through a digital platform, and systematic psychological support. Each athlete has an individual development plan tailored to their discipline, career stage and specific needs.
The partnership with SIRO Boka Place, together with the LA28 Preparation Programme, confirms that Montenegrin sport is building the infrastructure that athletes deserve.
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