This week, Anej Čurin Prapotnik drew the attention of the wider Slovenian sports public with his excellent result in the 100 meter sprint. Who is this super talented sprinter and what can we expect from him in the future?
At the time of 10.29, which was achieved by the winner in the 100 meters at Tuesday’s first meeting of the Slovenian Athletics League in Ptuj, many people pricked their ears. Especially after he found out that the winner was Slovenian, and he impressed on the very day he got out of his teenage years. He turned 20 on Tuesday. A new star of Slovenian athletics in the making?
“I am not surprised by the result. To be honest, I thought I would run this fast before, but it didn’t happen. Not with the weather, not with the wind. Now it finally happened and the result is here,” he told us Aeneas Čurin Companion and added that despite his excellent result, his run was not ideal.
“No, many things could be better. There are still many reserves. Especially in the middle of the run and in the second half,” explained the young, 176-centimeter-tall sprinter, who, with this excellent result, ranked fourth among the best results in the history of the Slovenian 100-meter sprint. All three who are ahead of him reached their personal records a few years older.
“I didn’t even know that this was the fourth result in history. I was a little surprised,” said the currently fastest Slovenian.
We know who is the fastest in history. A long-time star of Slovenian athletics Nut Shaftera World Outdoor Championship finalist and European Championship bronze medalist who ran the fastest 10.13.
“He’s really had incredible results, but I think I could get close to him. Especially to his personal record of 10.13 and maybe something else to add,” replied the young member of the Ptuj athletics club confidently.
He is trained by a former world champion coach
Trains under guidance Gorazda Rajhar. The coach who helped world discus champion Kristjan Čeh on his way to the top. Before he started training under the guidance of the Estonian Gerda Kanter.
Interestingly, a throwing expert now watching over a sprinter’s career. How?
“He is still learning, just like me. We discover new things together. I myself watch a lot how some sprinters who are already at the top train. Of course, he also pays a lot of attention to how I train and how my body reacts,” explained Čurin Prapotnik, a collaboration that is clearly already bearing fruit.
They already have detailed plans for this year. They want him to be the fastest during the U23 European Championship, which will be held in Finland in a month’s time.
“Of course, I hope to reach the top and achieve a good result. Above all, I want him to run well. How soon, I don’t dare to predict yet. I hope as fast as possible,” said the young sprinter.
There is clearly no shortage of sprinting talent in the family
He devoted himself completely to athletics only in the last year. “I trained every day, four days a week, twice a day. This is also reflected in the results,” he admitted, adding that after abandoning his studies in mechatronics in Ptuj, he is taking a break this school year. In the future, she plans to study physiotherapy. “This year, I worked four hours a day at my local company, and at the same time trained,” he said.
He comes from Gorišnica, a small place in Styria. “I have a 15-minute drive to the stadium. I enjoy athletics training. I first played football for nine years in primary school. I was among the fastest, so I also took part in school athletics competitions. Last year, in the ninth grade, I was third in the national championship in the 60-meter run and decided to try athletics,” he described the beginning of his athletic journey, during which he quickly realized that he was very talented at sprinting.
“My parents were not athletes, but they were both very fast, or so they say. Dad played football. They both support me a lot in athletics,” answered Čurin Prapotnik, when we asked him about the family, which apparently has very fast genes. His six years younger sister is also very talented Ana Čurin Prapotnikwho has already won national champion titles in younger age categories.
Every sprinter’s daring dream
And how far does he think he can get in the shortest and most attractive athletic discipline in the next decade?
“I think I can get close to the ten second mark. We’ll see where it takes me,” he outlined the goal that every sprinter dreams of at the end of the conversation.
A bold but correct attitude that you must have if you really want to be at the top one day. Good luck!
