Mehmed Skender

Mehmed Skender (born 30 May 1959) is a Bosnian coach and former weightlifter. He competed in the men's heavyweight II event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Biography Skender was born on 30 May 1959, in Zenica, Yugoslavia. Growing up, he competed in the sport of athletics and in weightlifting, competing for the Yugoslavian national teams in both sports. In weightlifting, he broke national records more than 30 times. He was serving in the war when the first Olympic team for Bosnia and Herzegovina was being formed in 1992. He was one of several athletes on the team that were selected while actively participating in the war; when he was contacted to join, he was stationed in a trench while manning a machine gun, defending his village of Zenica, where his wife and two children lived. He ended up being one of 10 athletes who competed for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 1992 Summer Olympics, the inaugural participation at the games for the nation. He is regarded as one of the top Bosnian athletics coaches, having trained several notable athletes including Mesud Pezer, Hamza Alić, Paša Šehić and Sanela Redžić.