Slovenian Relay Team Misses Final, Cites Missed Opportunity

The Slovenian men's 4x100m relay team failed to reach the final at the 27th European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, finishing 11th overall in the qualifying rounds. The team, consisting of Staš Tin Lorbar, Filip Oiclj, Andrej Skočir, and Anej Čurin Prapotnik, clocked a time of 39.28 seconds.

This performance fell short of the required time for the final, which was 39.17 seconds. The team also narrowly missed breaking their own national record of 38.91 seconds, a mark they set just last month in Lucerne. Great Britain's team led the qualifying heats with a time of 38.29 seconds.

Anej Čurin Prapotnik, considered the leading athlete of the Slovenian relay team, expressed disappointment, stating, "We missed a big opportunity, as several teams were not in full strength, like Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium." He added that he sees potential within the team but emphasized the need for coaches to dedicate sufficient attention to ensure strong performances in major competitions.

Čurin Prapotnik, who also reached the semi-finals in the individual 100m event at these championships, noted that the team has improved since the previous European Championships two years ago. However, he acknowledged that the baton exchanges, particularly the final one between himself and Skočir, were not optimal, contributing to their failure to advance.