Slovenian Athletes Optimistic Ahead of European Championships

Slovenia's athletics team is heading to the 27th European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, UK, with a strong contingent of 27 athletes. The championships, scheduled from August 10 to 16, will see top Slovenian competitors vying for medals.

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This is the most important competition of the season and I will defend my title.

Kristjan Čeh, the reigning discus champion from the 2024 Rome championships, is focused on defending his title. He described the event as the most crucial competition of the season. "This is the most important competition of the season and I will defend my title," Čeh stated at a press conference. He acknowledged the historically strong competition in the discus event but expressed confidence in his readiness, citing his performance in previous competitions this year.

Joining Čeh in the pursuit of medals is Tina Šutej, Slovenia's national record holder in the pole vault, who aims to secure her ninth major championship medal. The women's team includes 14 athletes, featuring Zala Istenič, Lina Hribar, Anita Horvat, Klara Lukan, Maruša Mišmaš Zrimšek, Neja Filipič, Lia Apostolovski, Ela Velepec, Liza Šajn, and a 4x400m relay team.

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I am confident that the competition will be very dynamic and therefore interesting. It will also be long and many things can happen.

The men's team comprises 13 athletes, including Čeh, Anej Čurin Praprotnik, Rok Ferlan, Lovro Košir, Jan Vuković, Matic Ian Guček, Mitja Zubin, Filip Jakob Demšar, and the 4x100m relay squad. Lado Mesarič, president of the Athletics Federation of Slovenia's professional council, expressed optimism about the team's prospects. He highlighted Čeh as a primary medal hopeful, stating that anything less than a podium finish would be a disappointment. Mesarič also pointed to Šutej, Filipič, Lukan, and Guček as athletes with strong potential to achieve high rankings and reach finals.

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I have gotten used to winning medals, which is also the goal at this European Championship. In recent years, I have met my expectations at the biggest competition. However, the competition for high places is quite tight.