Tina Zelčić, Tijana Korent, Mila Prpić, Christina Zwicker, and Erin Bakran showcased impressive form on media day. The European Artistic Gymnastics Championships kick off on Thursday at Zagreb Arena.
Zagreb Arena was the venue for a practice session by Croatian gymnasts on Wednesday, who showcased their routines for the media ahead of the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The atmosphere was focused but expectant, as from Thursday, August 13, through Sunday, August 16, 2026, Europe's top gymnasts will compete for medals in the Croatian capital.
In front of a home crowd, five national team members will defend Croatian colors: Tina Zelčić, Tijana Korent, Mila Prpić, Christina Zwicker, and Erin Bakran. At the media-open training, all showed a high level of preparedness and complex elements that they hope will lead to strong placements. Head coach of the women's senior team, Marko Brez, confirmed that as many as ten seniors competed for these five spots, with final assessments held two weeks ago. "They are all ready and have had very good preparations. The podium training also went very well, so we can confidently await Thursday's qualifications. Our initial hope is that the girls enjoy themselves in front of their fans," Brez said.
Photographer Igor Kralj from PIXSELL agency captured their acrobatics, and the footage shows a serious approach and concentration ahead of the season's most important event. Tina Zelčić, a specialist on the demanding balance beam, also shared her thoughts. She arrives in Zagreb with two silver medals from this season's World Challenge Cups: "I'm looking forward to competing on Thursday and hope to perform my routine from start to finish as well as I know I can. I can say I'm physically ready. There have been good performances this season-I won two silver medals at World Cups-so we entered the preparation period before the Euros full of energy. Now it's all in the head, but if everything falls into place and I perform the routine like I do in training, I think I can fight for the final."
Christina Zwicker emphasized that after four years and a series of injuries that began in 2022, she is returning to the all-around on the big stage. "We'll see a phenomenal all-around in Zagreb. After several years, the Russians are back, and all the best of the best are here, not just in Europe but in the world. My preparations for the championship went very well; we had our selection competitions, and I can truly say everything went quite well. Given that I'm returning to the all-around after a long four years and after injuries that started in 2022 and just kept coming one after another, I expect to complete it from start to finish. Since the competition is in front of a home crowd, I really want to enjoy it and do the all-around for myself, so it stays as a good memory. I hope to qualify for the World Championships," Zwicker said.
The European Artistic Gymnastics Championships is one of the most prestigious continental competitions, and hosting it at Zagreb Arena is a great opportunity for Croatian gymnastics to shine. The competition lasts four days, during which the best individuals and teams on the continent will be decided. The Croatian representatives' qualification performances are scheduled for Thursday.
