Kristjan Čeh Leads Slovenia’s Athletics Team into Birmingham after Rome Gold

Discus thrower Kristjan Čeh captured gold at the European Athletics Championships in Rome in June 2024, giving Slovenia its first gold of the meet and its 11th medal overall. The victory was highlighted by federation president Lado Mesarič, who said a failure would have been unthinkable without Čeh on the podium.

Slovenia will field a squad of 27 athletes at the 27th European Championships in Birmingham, England, scheduled for 10‑16 August 2024, with the aim of defending Čeh’s discus title. Mesarič expressed optimism, noting that despite a few injuries the team remains strong. Key athletes include pole‑vaulter Tina Šutej, who will chase her ninth major‑meet medal, triple‑jumper Neja Filipič, distance runner Klara Lukan (5th in the 10,000 m), hurdler Matic Ian Guček (potential 400 m hurdles finalist), and sprinter Anej Čurin Prapotnik, who will anchor the 4 × 100 m relay.

The previous championships in Rome saw Italy top the medal table, followed by France and Great Britain. Slovenia finished 17th among 28 nations with a single gold and several top‑ten finishes.