Nine former PNP winners look to light up Paris 2024

Nine former summer Piotr Nurowski Prize (PNP) winners will be looking to light up the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as Europe welcomes the world’s best athletes to the continent between 26 July and 11 August.

The PNP was established in 2011 to honour the former Polish National Olympic Committee President and has been awarded to the Best European Young Athlete competing in summer sports since 2011 and in winter sports since 2016.

In addition to the nine former winners, 21 further athletes who were shortlisted for the award will compete in Paris, including four second-placed finishers, highlighting the pathway that the European Olympic Committees (EOC) offers to young athletes.

The biggest name is Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won the PNP in 2019 and earlier this summer broke the women’s high jump world record in Paris at a Diamond League meeting, jumping 2.10m. She will be the favourite to secure gold at the Stade de France.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) – 9th Summer edition of PNP

Last year the PNP had joint-winners for the first time, and both Darja Varfolomeev (Germany) and Kuzey Tunçelli (Turkiye) have made it to Paris. Varfolomeev, 17, is competing in the rhythmic gymnastics having already won six World Championship gold medals, while impressive swimmer Tuncelli was a gold medallist at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Maribor last year.

Darja Varfolomeev (Germany) and Kuzey Tunçelli (Turkiye) – 12th Summer edition of PNP

Despite only being 18, the 2022 PNP winner Angelina Topić will have her eyes on glory for Serbia in Paris following her silver medal at the European Championships in Rome last month.

Angelina Topic (Serbia) – 11th Summer edition of PNP

So too will the 2021 PNP winner, Romanian swimmer David Popovici who won two freestyle gold medals at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest and this year’s European Championships in Belgrade.

David Popovici (Romania) – 10th Summer edition of PNP

The remaining three former winners are Austrian mountain bike cyclist Laura Stigger (2018), Italian cyclist Letizia Paternoster (2017), Greek pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis (2016) and Lithuanian swimmer Rūta Meilutytė (2012 and 2013).