Aleksandar Šoštar
A water polo guardian whose hands secured Olympic gold for Yugoslavia and bronze for Serbia across a changing political landscape.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Serbian water polo player·Birthday: January 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Aleksandar Šoštar stood as the last line of defense during one of water polo's most dominant eras. The Serbian goalkeeper's career spanned the tumultuous transition of his homeland, from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Federal Republic. His reflexes and commanding presence in the cage were constants. In 1988, he was part of the formidable Yugoslav squad that captured Olympic gold in Seoul, a team remembered for its sheer power. Twelve years later, under a different flag at the Sydney 2000 Games, his experience was crucial in steering a new generation to a bronze medal. Šoštar's longevity at the elite level, bridging two distinct Olympic chapters for his nation, cements his status as a pillar of Balkan water polo history.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Aleksandar was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aleksandar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Aleksandar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an Olympic gold medal with the SFR Yugoslavia team at the 1988 Seoul Games.
- Earned an Olympic bronze medal with the FR Yugoslavia team at the 2000 Sydney Games.
- Was a key member of multiple European and World Championship-winning Yugoslav teams in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Did You Know?
He played his club water polo for Partizan Belgrade, one of the sport's most famous teams.
His son, Luka Šoštar, also became a professional water polo goalkeeper.
He competed in the Olympics under three different national designations due to geopolitical changes.
“A goalkeeper wins matches by reading the shooter's eyes a fraction of a second early.”
