Education
Born in Dubai, to Bosnian Serb parents, he chose to represent Serbia in the international swimming competitions. He also studied in one of GEMS schools.
Born in Dubai, to Bosnian Serb parents, he chose to represent Serbia in the international swimming competitions. He also studied in one of GEMS schools.
The Serbian youngster started swimming when he was barely six, but that was more for fitness. However, by the time he was 12 his path crossed with that of coach Chris Tidey, who had relocated to Dubai from Cambridge. Youth and Junior Velimir competed at the 2009 European Youth Olympic Festival.
2011 He represented Serbia at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, where he competed in 100 and 400 meters freestyle and 200 meters butterfly.
At the European Short Course Swimming Championships held in Szczecin he came 5th in final of 200m butterfly. 2012 Stjepanović competed at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships and took 5th place in Men"s 200m Butterfly Final.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he finished 6th of Men"s 200m Butterfly Final. In the preliminary round he broke the Serbian national record and qualified for the semi finals with the 3rd time overall.
Stjepanović competed at the World Aquatics Championships and qualified for semi final of 200m freestyle and 200m butterfly while he finished 18th in the 400m freestyle.
After a brief six-month training regimen under Tidey, Stjepanović won his first medal, a bronze, at a competition in England. "Chris convinced me that I could be a really good swimmer and that"s where my career took off as I started believing in myself and what I could achieve," Stjepanović said. He won a gold medal in 100m Butterfly and silver in 100m Freestyle. At the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, he was a Serbian flagbearer and won 2 medals, silver in 100m Freestley and bronze in 100m Butterfly therefore Olympic Committee of Serbia has declared him for the best young athlete in 2010. Stjepanović won gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly at the 2011 European Junior Swimming Championships. 2013 At the 2013 Mediterranean Games held in Mersin, Turkey he won the gold medal in 200m and 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly. In the end of the year Stjepanović won gold medal in 200m butterfly and bronze in 400m freestyle and finished 5th in 200m freestyle at the 2013 European Short Course Swimming Championships.
Quotations: "Chris convinced me that I could be a really good swimmer and that"s where my career took off as I started believing in myself and what I could achieve,".
