The European Championships in Osijek have concluded, and we can proudly draw a line under the performances of the young Slovenian national team. We have achieved our goals and proven that we belong at the very top of Europe with our young competitors.
The competition turned out to be a dream for us with Eva Vodopivec winning the gold medal in the 25-metre pistol discipline. Eva qualified for the final in sixth place, and then, with an exceptional performance, she dominated the powerhouses in this discipline, including competitors from the Czech Republic and neutral athletes (AIN).
Maksimilijan Žarić rounded off his success by winning a silver medal. After finishing third in the qualifiers, he only narrowly lost in the final after a fierce battle to a young Norwegian who shot a European record. The other young competitors also gave their all. They showed a high level of readiness and proved that they will certainly be contenders to watch at future major competitions. Alongside these top results, immense gratitude goes to all the club and national team coaches, as well as their home clubs. Without their professional work, daily effort, patience, and unwavering support in their local communities, these successes on the international stage would not have been possible.
In the second half of June, our junior team will compete in the World Junior Championship. The national team will participate there with a slightly depleted squad, as some competitors have their final exams – their 'matura' – at this time, which of course takes precedence.
I am counting down the days with the greatest anticipation and high expectations to the November World Championships, where the first Olympic quotas for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will be awarded.”
Osijek, 12 May 2026
Good news comes from the European Championships, where today, 12.5.2026, junior men and women took to the shooting line in the 50m rifle three-position event.
18-year-old shooter, Maksimilijan Žarič, achieved an excellent 3rd place in the qualifiers with 586 rings.
In the final battle, he came second and thus became the European Youth Vice-Champion, which also brought Slovenia its first medal at this European Championship.
Among the juniors, Gal Potrč also competed today, finishing in 36th place with 572 circles, and Florjan Klemenčič in 38th place with 571 circles.
The youth team finished in 7th place.
Among the juniors, Lana Kužnik was in 61st place with 569 points, Hana Strakušek in 65th place with 567 points, and Tara Potrč in 72nd place with 562 points.
The junior team finished in 15th place.
The team is led by team leader Andreja Vlah.
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