Andrea Berišaj
Montenegrin taekwondo athlete Andrea Berišaj has been nominated for the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize after a series of outstanding performances across junior and senior competition.
Ranked number one on the European Junior Ranking List, Berišaj claimed bronze medals at the World Taekwondo Under-21 Championships and the European Taekwondo Under-21 Championships in 2025. She was also named Best Athlete of Montenegro for 2025 by the Montenegrin Olympic Committee, and has continued that form into 2026, winning bronze at the recent European Taekwondo Championships.
“My motivation comes from the countless hours of work I dedicate every day to achieving my dreams. I have given everything to this sport and made sacrifices that most people willnever see,” Berišaj said.
“For 11 years, I have trained through pain and challenges to become the athlete I am today. Taekwondo is no longer just something I practice, it is part of who I am.”
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Amalia Covaliu
Romanian fencer Amalia Covaliu has been nominated for the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize following a stellar run of results in women’s sabre competition.
Covaliu won the U17 World Championships title in 2025 before claiming gold in the U20 European Championships team event the same year, having also reached the podium at the U17 European Championships in both 2023 and 2025. She added individual silver at the U20 European Championships in 2026.
Away from the piste, she was recognised with the Team Romania Junior award at the inaugural Athletes’ Forum of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and is an active volunteer promoting fencing among young people.
“I have dedicated myself to fencing with passion and determination, and every international competition has helped me grow both as an athlete and as a person,” Covaliu said.
“Winning medals has been an honour, but it also motivates me to continue striving for excellence and to inspire others. Through sport, I have learned discipline, resilience and respect – values I carry with me every day.”
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Ruby Evans
British gymnast Ruby Evans has been nominated for the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize after a historic year on the competition floor.
Evans capped a memorable 2025 by winning silver in the floor exercise at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indonesia, and also claimed silver in the inaugural mixed team event at the European Championships in Germany. She followed those performances by winning the British senior all-around title in 2026, and was awarded the British Gymnastics Women’s Athlete of the Year.
“Gymnastics has helped to shape me as a person and given me opportunities I never thought I would have in life,” Evans said.
“To do what I enjoy every day isn’t something I take for granted and I feel very honoured. I remember as a small kid looking up to the GB gymnasts who I’m now fortune enough to share the floor with and that feels very special.”
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Ivan Ivanov
Bulgarian tennis player Ivan Ivanov has been nominated for the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize after a remarkable 2025 season that established him as one of the most exciting young players in world tennis.
Ivanov became one of the very few players to win both the Wimbledon and US Open junior singles titles in the same year, and at just 16 years and 257 days old he rose to world number one in the ITF Junior Rankings, earning him the ITF World Junior Champion title for 2025. He continued his progression into 2026, winning his first title on the ITF World Tennis Tour at the M25 Tarragona tournament. Beyond his on-court achievements, Ivanov is known for his sportsmanship and mentoring work with young athletes.
“He consistently demonstrates respect, integrity, and sportsmanship, embodying the core principles of fair play and Olympic values,” his candidacy for the Piotr Nurowski Prize reads.
“His conduct on and off the court makes him a role model for young athletes and a worthy ambassador of European sport.”
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Allika Inkeri Moser
Estonian pole vaulter Allika Inkeri Moser has been nominated for the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize after announcing herself on the world stage with a world record-breaking performance in 2025.
Moser set a world under-18 record of 4.52m to win gold at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje, North Macedonia, having only taken up athletics at the end of 2022 following earlier training as an acrobat at a circus school. She followed that with a fourth-place finish at the U20 European Championships, was nominated for the European Athletics Female Rising Star Award in September 2025, and won gold at the Estonian Indoor Championships earlier this year.
“I’ve adopted the mindset that all those losses and disappointments only make me stronger,” Moser said of her mentality and her ambition to compete at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
Maruša Tereza Šerkezi
Slovenian mountain biker Maruša Tereza Šerkezi has been nominated for the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize after establishing herself as one of the most exciting young talents in European cycling.
The cross-country specialist won gold in the women’s junior cross-country Olympic event at the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, as well as a gold and a silver at the UEC European Mountain Bike Championships. A five-time Slovenian national XCO champion, she is also the national XCC champion for 2024 and 2025, and is now transitioning into U23 competition in 2026.
“She combines ambition with responsibility – a rare but decisive combination at this stage of an athlete’s career,” her candidacy for the Piotr Nurowski Prize reads.
“She is already operating close to elite standards. The transition is not a question of if, but when.”
Europe’s NOCs will vote for the winner of the 14th Summer Piotr Nurowski Prize on 12 June, during the 55th EOC General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. The Award Ceremony will be held later that evening at the Gala Dinner.
