Ipswich High School Pupil Competes in European Shooting Championships 2026

Written by Matilda W

Last week, I travelled to Burgas, Bulgaria, for eight days to compete in the 2026 European Championships 10m Rifle/Pistol U16/U18, representing Great Britain in the U18 Women’s Air Pistol category. I travelled with the British Shooting team and my coaches. We flew from Gatwick to Sofia and then had a five-hour coach journey to Burgas, which is on the Black Sea.

We stayed in a hotel with athletes from more than 30 other European countries, which made the whole experience feel truly international. The range was a short walk from the hotel, and we had two days of preparation and training before the first competition on Thursday.

The Championships began with an Opening Ceremony where all athletes gathered in their national kit, like at the Olympics! We also exchanged pins with shooters from other countries, and I now have flag pins from Ukraine, Hungary, Denmark, Spain, and many others.

The first competition on Thursday was the Solo Match, where you received a point for every shot of 9.8 or above in a 30-shot match. This was not a type of competition I had ever taken part in before, but it went really well, and I qualified in 11th place, along with the top 16, to take part in the second round.

The next competitions over the following three days consisted of an Individual match of 40 shots, followed by a Duet of 30 shots and a Trio of 30 shots, which I competed in alongside my British Shooting teammates.

All matches were streamed online and my family were able to watch from home. The finals were even shown live on Facebook and YouTube. Knowing people were watching in real time increased the pressure and made the matches feel more competitive.

The shooting range was extremely hot, which made staying calm and steady much harder. This added to the pressure I already felt performing for Great Britain, competing against Europe’s top U18 athletes, and managing my own expectations.

Despite the challenges, there were moments of real pride. Wearing the GB kit, competing on an international stage, and standing alongside some of Europe’s best young shooters reminded me how far I’ve come.

Overall, the European Championships were one of the most demanding but rewarding experiences I’ve had. The trip pushed me physically and mentally, and representing Great Britain helped me grow both as an athlete and as a person.