Anze Hribar, the younger brother of Olympic gymnast Lucija Hribar, is making a name for himself on the global stage with an impressive 22 World Cup appearances. As he prepares for the 2026 European Championship, Anze shares his strategies and training approach.
Anze Hribar recently spoke with International Gymnast Online about his journey in competitive gymnastics. He discussed his plans for the floor exercise and vault ahead of the upcoming championships in Zagreb. Reflecting on his progress, Anze emphasized the strong foundation he has built on the floor, which he considers his strongest discipline.
“I think I’ve built a very solid base this season,” he said. “Especially on the floor, where I’ve shown consistent performances and have been to the finals multiple times.”
The Ljubljana native has quickly gained attention in international competitions. He has reached eight floor exercise finals and one vault final, with standout performances that earned him a silver medal on the floor at the 2025 World Cup of Antalya and the World Challenge Cup of Koper.
Anze also carries the legacy of his sister, Lucija Hribar, who competed in the 2024 Olympics and won the 2025 World Cup series on the uneven bars. He acknowledges her experience and values her insights as a source of inspiration.
He places a lot of trust in his coach, Franci Rojc, who has helped him identify areas for improvement. According to Anze, the main focus for development is increasing the difficulty of his routines while maintaining clean execution.
“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 gets ready for the championship, Anze emphasizes avoiding small mistakes and mastering technical details. He aims to improve his landing stability and consistency between vaults.
Although his primary focus is on the floor exercise and vault, he continues to train on all apparatuses. This helps with overall development and physical preparation.
“I still train other apparatuses as they are important for overall development and physical preparation,” he said.
Two years after his first World Challenge Cup final, Anze feels more complete and prepared. With two months until the event, he could take a significant step towards adding to Slovenia’s rich gymnastics history.
The 2026 European Artistic Gymnastics Championship
The European Championship will be held in the Croatian capital for the first time, featuring both junior and senior gymnasts over a two-week period. The event will take place in August, with Women’s Gymnastics scheduled for August 13-16 and Men’s Gymnastics from August 19-23. It will also include a scientific and professional conference that brings together the academic community and sports case studies.
For the first time, the championship will offer a dedicated prize money pool for athletes and coaches. This opportunity highlights why athletes like Anze are focusing on perfecting their routines to qualify for the final.
