As the younger brother of 2024 Olympian and 2025 World Cup series overall uneven bars champion Lucija Hribar, Slovenia’s Anze Hribar is amassing his own spotlight on the international circuit.

Hribar, a Ljubljana native who will turn 22 on September 17, has competed at 22 World Cup or World Challenge Cup competitions, advancing to eight floor exercise finals and one vault final thus far. His best finishes are silvers on floor exercise at the 2025 World Cup of Antalya and 2025 World Challenge Cup of Koper.

In this International Gymnast Online interview, Hribar details his competitive rise and the dynamics of his relationship with his Olympian sibling.

IGO: You continue to be a contender for World Cup medals, with already four finals in the series this year. Based on your performances so far in 2026, what improvements or changes will you need on floor exercise and vault, in order to challenge for those finals at the European Championships in Zagreb this summer?

AH: I think I’ve built a very solid base this season, especially on floor, where I’ve shown consistent performances and have been to the finals multiple times. Still, I know that for the European Championships I’ll need to take another step forward. The main area for improvement is increasing the difficulty of my routine while showing clean execution, as that clean routine is what really makes the difference at this level.

On vault, I’m focusing a lot on landing stability and consistency between both vaults. It’s important for me to perform both vaults at the same level, without major errors, because the competition is very tight and small details can decide who makes the final.

IGO: In which ways do you feel you have already improved as a gymnast since your first World Challenge Cup final two years ago in Koper?

AH: I think the biggest improvement has been in my confidence and overall approach to competition. Back then, reaching the final already felt like a big achievement, so I went in with fewer expectations. Now, my mindset is different – I go into each competition with clear goals and a strong belief that I can perform at a high level.

I’ve also become more mature as a gymnast. I handle pressure better, stay more focused and trust my routines more. Technically, I’m more consistent and make fewer big mistakes, which is really important at this level. Overall, I feel more complete and prepared as an athlete than I did two years ago.

IGO: This year you made it into your first World Cup vault final. Do you feel you have always been a strong vaulter, or has vault become a stronger apparatus for you over the past two years?

Anze Hribar (SLO)

AH: I’ve always had good physical qualities for vault, especially in terms of speed and explosiveness, but over the past two years I’ve made the biggest progress on this apparatus. With more repetitions and technical improvements, I’ve gained confidence, which is now also visible in competition. I now see vault as one of my stronger events, where I can realistically compete for finals. At the same time, I still have room to improve, especially in landings and consistency, which will be important for future progress.

IGO: If you plan to compete on apparatuses in addition to floor exercise and vault this year or in the future, which apparatuses are they, and how far along is your training progress in them?

AH: At the moment, my main focus is on floor and vault, as I see the greatest potential for top results there. However, I still train other apparatuses as they are important for overall development and physical preparation. I’m gradually working on other events, especially parallel bars and high bar, but I’m not yet at the level to compete on them at major competitions. In the future, I’m open to expanding my program.

IGO: How many hours per week do you train, and who coaches you?

AH: I train around 25 to 30 hours per week, which requires a lot of discipline and good organization. This year, I joined the army as an athlete, which allows me to focus fully on training and competitions. It gives me stability and the conditions needed to progress at the highest level, which is very important for me.

I train for ŠD Sokol Bežigrad. My coach is Franci Rojc, who has been coaching me since I was very young and works with me on all apparatuses. We’ve been working together for many years, so we understand each other very well, which I believe is very important for my progress.

IGO: How separate are your and Lucija’s home lives from your gymnastics lives? Or is gymnastics always part of your relationship as brother and sister?

AH: Gymnastics is a big part of my everyday life, so it’s hard to completely separate it from my personal life, especially since Lucija is also involved in the same sport. Still, we try to have moments where we are just brother and sister, not only gymnasts, and talk about other things as well. I think this balance helps us stay motivated and relaxed outside the gym.

IGO: As Lucija’s younger brother, how do you advise Lucija in her gymnastics? And as an Olympian, how does she advise and inspire you?

AH: Lucija has a lot of experience, especially from major competitions, so her perspective means a lot to me. As my older sister, she doesn’t really advise me directly, but she supports me a lot – both in my sports career and in life in general. That kind of support is very important to me, as it gives me confidence and the feeling that I have someone who truly understands what I’m going through. I try to support her as well, and I think we complement each other very well in that way.

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