Slovenian high jumpers Lia Apostolovski and Ela Velepec miss European final

Slovenian high jumpers Lia Apostolovski and Ela Velepec did not advance to the final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Both athletes were unsuccessful in clearing the automatic qualification mark of 1.91 meters.

Apostolovski, competing in the high jump qualifications, cleared 1.88 meters, placing her 16th overall. This result means she will not participate in Saturday's final. Velepec, a debutant at major championships, finished 27th with a jump of 1.84 meters.

The competition began at 1.75 meters, with both Slovenians successfully clearing their initial heights on their first attempts. Apostolovski, coached by Slovenia's former record holder Rožle Prezelj, continued her strong performance, clearing 1.80 meters and remaining among the leaders at 1.84 meters. Velepec also cleared 1.84 meters on her third attempt, joining Apostolovski at the 1.88-meter mark.

While Apostolovski managed to clear 1.88 meters on her first try, she subsequently failed to clear 1.91 meters. Velepec's competition ended after three unsuccessful attempts at 1.88 meters.

Later in the evening, Slovenian hopes will rest on Kristjan Čeh, the defending champion in the discus throw, who competes at 9:40 p.m., and Neja Filipič in the triple jump final at 8:40 p.m.