Portugal achieved seven medals, including two gold, one silver, and four of excellence, at the 9th edition of EuroSkills, after competing against 32 countries over three days in Denmark.
Marco Malheiro from Ponte de Lima, Viana do Castelo, who won a gold medal in welding, expressed his surprise at finishing first. “I did not expect it; I was hoping for at least a medal of excellence, but the gold was phenomenal. It’s a pride, I’m speechless,” he stated.
Now, according to the welder, “it’s about going to China and winning another gold medal.”
The duo of Diogo Pinto from Lousada, Porto, and Loris Sgroj from Celorico de Basto, Braga, who secured gold in robotic systems integration, recalled their hard work. “It was quite a long time, we worked and studied constantly, many weeks, holidays, many nights, it was an effort in everything,” Loris Sgroj noted, while Diogo Pinto set his sights on Shanghai: “it is to bring gold again.”
Silver medalists in mechatronics, Diogo Botelho and Simão Alves, both from Torres Vedras, Lisbon, mentioned they did not expect such a good outcome, saying, “the last two days went poorly.”
The duo is already preparing for the 48th edition of WorldSkills, set to be held in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026.
Excellence medalist in milling, Dmitry Zhivitsa from Águeda, Aveiro, noted he “expected this result.”
“Despite all the other countries having good performances, I expected this result. Next is the World, but besides that comes training. We have nearly a year of preparation, and I think that is the most important, to train for a good performance and represent Portugal well,” he emphasized.
Leonor Silva, who earned a medal of excellence in the hairdressing profession, said she is “proud of the result.”
“They were long months of training to be here, it was not just these three days of competition,” she remarked.
Nelson Ribeiro from Felgueiras, Porto, who achieved excellence in industrial control, said he “was not expecting it at all.”
“For me, it is a great pride. I worked hard for this. I am very pleased. Now comes training, more focus, a lot of work, to arrive in Shanghai, and achieve even better,” he stressed.
The electrical installations technician Bruno Ribeiro from Vila Real, who won a medal of excellence, said it was the outcome he anticipated.
In the final assessment, the coordinator in Portugal for WorldSkills, which organizes the championship, stated that EuroSkills “went excellently” for Portugal.
“It’s a team of excellence, we achieved that classification again, maintained the classification from the last European, it is fantastic. It means that even the competitors who did not receive a medal of excellence, their classification was high, so the general classification of the team remained as a team of excellence, which is extraordinary for us,” highlighted Gustavo Seia.
The official added he had “hoped for this result” and that preparation for Shanghai “begins tomorrow.”
EuroSkills took place from Tuesday to today in Herning, on the Jutland Peninsula, with Portugal having 15 young participants across 13 vocational areas. The event drew around 3,000 visitors.
