Olympian Lucija Hribar's younger brother, Anze Hribar, is carving his own legacy on the international stage with an impressive 22 World Cup appearances. Ahead of the 2026 European Championship, he shares his strategy and preparation style.

Anze Hribar discussed his competitive trajectory with International Gymnast Online. The Slovenian specialist was also asked about his strategy for the floor exercise and vault before heading to the upcoming championships in Zagreb.

Reflecting on his improvements, Anze highlighted his dependable foundation on the floor, which has proven to be his strongest category.

“I think I’ve built a very solid base this season," he told International Gymnast Online. "Especially on the floor, where I’ve shown consistent performances and have been to the finals multiple times.”

The Ljubljana native has rapidly earned a spotlight in international competitions. He has already advanced to eight floor exercise finals and one vault final, with breakthrough performances in which he claimed silver on floor at the 2025 World Cup of Antalya and the World Challenge Cup of Koper.

Anze also has a legacy to live up to, as the brother of 2024 Olympian and 2025 World Cup series uneven bars champion Lucija Hribar. Speaking about his sister, the 21-year-old acknowledges her experience and immensely values her perspective.

He also places a lot of trust in his coach, Franci Rojc, under whose tutelage he has identified areas that require polish and could yield glory.

“The main area for improvement is increasing the difficulty of my routine while showing clean execution," he stated. "As that clean routine is what really makes the difference at this level.”

As he prepares for his upcoming championship, Anze emphasizes avoiding minor errors and mastering the technical details. He intends to build his landing stability and consistency between vaults.

And while his main focus is on floor exercises and vault, he is building a strong foundation on all apparatuses.

"I still train other apparatuses as they are important for overall development and physical preparation," he remarked.

Two years since his first World Challenge Cup final, Anze now feels more complete and prepared. With two months left, he could take a big step towards adding to Slovenia's rich history in gymnastics.

The 2026 European Artistic Gymnastics Championship

The European Championship will be held in the Croatian capital for the first time, with its two-week schedule featuring both junior and senior gymnasts.

The event will be held in August, with Women's Gymnastics scheduled for August 13-16 and Men's Gymnastics from August 19-23. It will also feature a scientific and professional conference to bring together the academic community and sports case studies.

And for the first time, the championship will include a dedicated prize money pool for athletes and coaches. Such an opportunity underscores why athletes like Anze are focusing on maintaining a perfect routine to claim a spot in the final.

Read more at the Gymnastics Digest!

Written by

Sebi Mehta

Edited by

Sijo Paul