Sas efcharistoume, Ellada! Thank you, Greece!

The inaugural European Championships Shotgun U-18 is now part of the history and on behalf of all participants we say: “Sas efcharistoume, Ellada! Thank you, Greece!”.

The Hellenic Shooting Federation presided by Mr. Athanassios Papageorgiou and the Malakasa Shooting Club headed by Mr. Yannis Kilakos have created a unique atmosphere and perfect conditions that allowed the young athletes to demonstrate their best qualities.

It should be specially noted that this Championship was the first official competitions in the Olympic shooting sport organized in Greece after the 2004 Games in Athens.

94 young athletes from 19 nations took part in the Championship.49 representatives of 12 nations have won medals, 19 of them returned home as European Champions. For nearly all of them those are the first medals and titles of such a high level in their sporting life!

The real start of the Championship was Irene Del Rey from Spain. She won three gold medals in three Trap events: Individual, Solo, Duet.

Several other young shooters also distinguished themselves with outstanding performances. Among them Anna Maria Markantonaki from Greece who won gold in two Skeet events: Individual and Trio, Antonio Chiavalon from Croatia who won two gold medals in Trap Team and Trap Trio, Fotios Baxevanakis from Greece who won gold in Skeet Solo and silver in Skeet Trio, Sotiroulla Christou from Cyprus who left the range with a gold medal in Skeet Solo and a silver medal in Skeet Duet.

During the Championship the ESC President Alexander Ratner held a meeting with coaches and team representatives. They expressed gratitude for the ESC initiative, emphasizing how important these Championships are for keeping teenagers engaged in the sport and providing them a clear pathway to the higher-level success. The coaches also strongly supported the competition formats, particularly the Solo based on the Olympic elimination system, noting their clarity, excitement, and suitability for broadcasting.

The Championships drew strong interest of the audience, with over 60,000 views recorded across ESC digital platforms during four days of the Finals.

The legacy of the European Championships Shotgun U18 will extend far beyond the podium, ensuring that Europe’s best young shooters continue to develop within a structured, supportive, and ambitious environment.

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