ISSF

Published on 13 Feb 2026

Close finals and emerging talent highlight the European Junior Championship

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The European Junior Championship, which took place on 11 and 12 February, brought together returning champions and emerging talents, with young athletes from across Europe delivering strong performances across rifle and pistol events. Several finals were decided, at the shooting range in Burgas, Bulgaria, by narrow margins, underlining both the high competitive level and the growing depth within junior shooting sport.

The championship began with medals awarded in three individual events and multiple team competitions. In the Air Rifle Mixed Team Junior event, Anastasiia Gorokhova and Sergei Novoselov (AIN) secured gold following a closely contested final against Croatia’s Senka Martinovic and Toma Tadic, while Ukraine’s Kristina Ostapenko and Oleksii Viatchin earned bronze. 
Photo credit: European Shooting Confederation
In the Air Pistol Men Junior competition, Moldova’s Climentii Ursu confirmed his status among the leading junior athletes with victory ahead of Islam Shamsutdinov (AIN) and Italy’s Francesco Rutigliani.
Photo credit: European Shooting Confederation
The Air Pistol Women Junior title went to Spain’s Ines Ortega Castro, with Latvia’s Kristiana Agule taking silver and Klara Tichackova of Czechia bronze.

Team events results were with Poland claiming gold in the Air Pistol Men Team Junior competition ahead of Türkiye and Hungary, while Latvia secured the Air Pistol Women Team Junior title, followed by Ukraine and Germany.
Photo credit: European Shooting Confederation

Competition continued on the second day with particularly close finishes in the rifle events. Norway’s Pernille Nor-Woll won the Air Rifle Women Junior final after a tight contest with Serbia’s Andelija Stevanovic, while Türkiye’s Elif Berfin Altun completed the podium in third place.

Photo credit: European Shooting Confederation

 In the Air Rifle Men Junior event, Hungary’s Balint Kalman took gold ahead of Germany’s Benedikt Ascher and Ukraine’s Kyrylo Buhaitsev.

 

Photo credit: European Shooting Confederation

The Air Pistol Mixed Team Junior event saw AIN athletes Aliaksandra Piatrova and Yury Krautsou take gold, followed by teammates Alina Nestsiarovich and Mikita Daubash in silver, while Georgia’s Mariami Marshava and Giorgi Mumladze secured bronze.

In the team competitions, Norway topped the Air Rifle Women Team Junior standings, with Serbia and Ukraine completing the podium. Germany claimed gold in the Air Rifle Men Team Junior event, ahead of Croatia and Italy.

Photo credit: European Shooting Confederation