Contestants from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro competed in the “Lazy Olympics”. Photo: courtesy of Etno Selo.

Four self-confessed lazy Montenegrins have won the so-called World Lazy Olympics, the sixth such event, after competing to be named “laziest person” in the region and win 800 euros as prize money.

Around 30 contestants from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro competed in the “Lazy Olympics” in the mountain village of Brezna, near the border with Bosnia.

The winners did not have to do much – just lie in bed for straight 49 hours, beating last year’s record, set at 48.5 hours.

The organizers, the Ethno Village Brezna tourist resort, situated in the north of

Montenegro, told BIRN on Monday that the winners were Andela Dendic, Milka Doderovic, Dijana Labovic and Milos Radulovic, all from Montenegro.

The judges were locals and from Serbia.

The competition was inspired by countless jokes made in the region about Montenegrins and their alleged aversion to hard work.

In former Yugoslavia such jokes were made about all ethnic groups, and each was mocked based on a different, negative, characteristic. In these jokes, Montenegrins normally featured as especially lazy and often in bed.

Participants in the “world” contest are not allowed to get up from lying on mattresses. Eating, drinking and talking is allowed, as is internet surfing.

The last person to leave the mattress is declared the winner, but this year four people got up together after they all beat the former record.