The 2026 Balkan U18 Championships in Novo Mesto concluded with an excellent standard of competition, bringing together athletes from 20 Balkan Athletics member federations. Throughout a full day of competition, the region’s most promising young talents delivered impressive performances across track and field events.
A total of 17 federations won at least one medal, while 8 nations claimed at least one gold medal, reflecting the growing depth and competitiveness of Balkan athletics at youth level. Türkiye finished at the top of the medal table with 11 gold medals, while Romania collected the highest overall medal tally with 18 medals.
Several athletes produced performances of international quality. Bulgaria’s Vasil Antonov impressed with 47.19 in the boys’ 400 m, Türkiye’s Emre Çınarağaç won the boys’ 800 m in 1:51.77, while Bulgaria’s Mihail Rusinov achieved 69.23 m in the boys’ javelin throw. Greece’s Georgios Fragkioudakis also delivered an outstanding performance to win the boys’ hammer throw with 66.91 m.
The girls’ programme also featured several high-quality performances. Türkiye secured victories in the 200 m, javelin throw and 2,000 m steeplechase, while Croatia closed the championships by winning the girls’ 4×100 m relay in 46.36. Host nation Slovenia celebrated several podium finishes in front of its home crowd, underlining the strength of its emerging generation of athletes.
Photo by Luka Vovk / Sportida
The championships also featured numerous personal best performances across both track and field disciplines, highlighting the continued progress of young athletes throughout the Balkan region and providing encouraging signs for future international competitions.
The 2026 Balkan U18 Championships in Novo Mesto once again showcased the talent, dedication and competitive spirit that continue to drive the development of athletics throughout the Balkan region.
The 2026 Balkan Athletics Championships in Volos concluded with great organizational and sporting success, bringing together all 22 member federations of Balkan Athletics. The event delivered memorable performances, historic milestones and numerous records across the two competition days. A total of 19 federations won at least one medal, while 14 celebrated at least one gold […]
The Balkan Athletics Indoor Championships for seniors were held today at the Banjica Athletics Hall in Belgrade, gathering around 300 athletes from 21 Balkan Athletics member nations. The competition was officially opened by Balkan Athletics President, Slobodan Branković and European Athletics President, Dobromir Karamarinov, who attended the event as a special guest. Serbia delivered a […]