Miljenko Rak

{{Short description|Croatian former long-jumper and fitness trainer}}

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Miljenko Rak

| image = Miljenko Rak.jpg

| caption = Rak in 2016

| fullname = Miljenko Rak

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|9|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Šibenik, FPR Yugoslavia

| nationality = Croatian

| title1 = Fitness coach

| titleyears1 = 1995–2006

| titleplace1 = Dinamo Zagreb

| title2 = Fitness coach

| titleyears2 = 2006–2012

| titleplace2 = Croatia (football)

| title3 = Fitness coach

| titleyears3 = 2012–2013

| titleplace3 = Lokomotiv Moscow

| title4 = Fitness coach

| titleyears4 = 2013–2015

| titleplace4 = Beşiktaş

| title5 = Fitness coach

| titleyears5 = 2015–2017

| titleplace5 = West Ham United

| title6 = Fitness coach

| titleyears6 = 2020–

| titleplace6 = Croatia (handball)

}}

Miljenko Rak (born 20 September 1947) is a Croatian former long-jumper and fitness trainer. He had worked as the trainer with Olympic gold medal-winning skier, Janica Kostelić, and football manager, Slaven Bilić. He is currently fitness coach in Dinamo Zagreb and the Croatia men's national handball team.{{cite web | url=http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/August/6-August/Bilic-bolsters-backroom-team | title=Bilic bolsters backroom team | publisher=www.whufc.com | date=6 August 2015 | accessdate=22 January 2016}}

Rak was the fitness coach for the Croatia national handball team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.{{cite web | url=http://www.vecernji.hr/do-zlata-s-osam-od-osam-801841 | title=Do zlata s osam do osam | publisher=vecernji.hr | date=19 December 2004 | accessdate=3 February 2017}}

Having studied for a degree is physical education at University of Novi Sad, competing for SFR Yugoslavia, as a long-jumper he took part in the 1967 Mediterranean Games in Tunis winning the gold medal with a jump of {{convert|7.53|metres|ftin}}. Four years later in the 1971 Mediterranean Games he won the silver medal with a jump of {{convert|7.78|metres|ftin}}, and in the 1979 Mediterranean Games in Split he won the bronze medal with a jump of {{convert|7.62|metres|ftin}}.{{cite web | url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/mg.htm | title=Mediterranean Games | publisher=www.gbrathletics.com | accessdate=22 January 2016}}

Rak worked as a coach in Osijek training athletes such as 800-metre runner Slobodanka Čolović{{cite web | url=http://www.yugopapir.com/2015/06/slobodanka-colovic-atletska-senzacija.html | title=Slobodanka Colovic atletska senzacija iz Osijeka: | publisher=www.yugopapir.com | accessdate=22 January 2016 | language=Croatian}} and long-jumper Siniša Ergotić.{{cite web | url=http://www.vecernji.hr/mrsavko-koji-daleko-leti-721168 | title=Mršavko koji daleko leti | publisher=www.vecernji.hr | accessdate=22 January 2016 | language=Croatian}}

Rak started as a footballing fitness coach with Dinamo Zagreb, after that he joined Slaven Bilić with the Croatia national football team. He followed Bilić to work with Lokomotiv Moscow, Beşiktaş and West Ham United. He left West Ham along with Bilić's other coaching staff when the manager was sacked on 6 November 2017.{{cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41702779| title=Slaven Bilic: West Ham sack manager with team in the relegation zone| publisher=BBC Sport| date=6 November 2017| access-date=6 November 2017}}

In 2020, Rak joined the Croatia national handball team as the fitness coach again.{{cite news |last=Grgić |first=Eva |url=https://www.24sata.hr/sport/kajba-poklonio-svoju-medalju-ovome-covjeku-dao-bih-sve-672509 |title=Kajba poklonio svoju medalju: 'Ovome čovjeku dao bih sve!' |website=24sata |date=26 January 2020 |accessdate=26 December 2020 |language=hr}}{{cite news |url=https://gol.dnevnik.hr/clanak/rubrika/ostali_sportovi/kauboji-poceli-s-pripremama-za-svjetsko-rukometno-prvenstvo-2021-evo-tko-je-sve-na-popisu---633704.html |title=Kauboji počeli pripreme za Svjetsko prvenstvo: Evo kakva je situacija i tko je sve na popisu |website=Gol.hr |date=26 December 2020 |accessdate=26 December 2020 |language=hr}}