Duje Draganja, 24, has answered the question of his future with Qatar: there won't be one. At the Croatian national championships in Dubrovnik, the Olympic sprinter told reporters that he had changed his mind and would no longer accept a lucrative offer to race for the Gulf State.

He would not reveal the amount of the Qatar offer but those close to him continued to indicate to the Croatian media that it was in the region of $1 million a year with bonuses for medals. However, a counter offer from a Croatian sponsor, coupled with a love for his country, was good enough to entice Draganja back to his nation of birth. No details of the new deal were given.

In an e-mail to a Croatian newspaper the Olympic silver medal winner over 50m freestyle said that the new sponsor shared his goals. "Croatia would never abandon me and I have not got a clear conscience. As time passed, I understood that I was not happy and I thank God that I changed my mind in time. I recognised at some point that it was stupid, and looking deep into myself I realised that money was not going to make me happy," he wrote.

Zlatko Matesa, head of the Croatian Olympic Committee, confirmed Draganja's change of heart and said: "He's come back to the team and our programme for the Beijing 2008 Games."

Draganja's decision will come as a relief to Fina, which was facing a potential clash over whether the sprinter would be allowed to race for Qatar at the world short-course championships in Shanghai in April. Fina had insisted that he would not be eligible and has made clear that it intends to enforce rules governing switch of nationalities. Proof of permanent residence plays a strong part in the equation.