Russia wins EuroSkills 2021: with 27 medals, the team secures first place in World Skills Europe’s medals ranking, closely followed by Austria (26 medals) and France with a total of 13 medals.

26.9.2021: A brilliant closing ceremony at the Messe Congress Graz (MCG) exhibition centre, with an audience of around 3,000, marked the end of the vocational skills championships EuroSkills. “It was a true showcase of outstanding professional performances that we have seen over the past few days in Graz”, stressed the President of WorldSkills Europe, Dita Traidas. “With these European Skills Championships we have informed people all over the world about the importance of vocational education and training.” The top-scoring performances were rewarded with medals during the Closing Ceremony, with Russia taking home more than any other country. The host country for the next European Skills Championships finished at the top of World Skills Europe’s medal table, with 13 gold, six silver and eight bronze medals. The umbrella organisation did not include the ten presentation skills in its medal count.

Austria came second from top of the medal ranking for the fourth time, with Team Austria picking up eleven gold, twelve silver and ten bronze medals, as well as four “Medaillons of Excellence” awarded for outstanding performances. After Austria came France with 13 medals, followed in close succession by Switzerland (12 medals) and Germany (9). Overall, competitors from 15 nations were awarded medals. The “Jos de Goey Best In Europe” award for the best competitor overall went to Russia. At the end of the ceremony, Josef Herk handed over the EuroSkills flag to St. Petersburg, host of the next European Skills Championships. The next European Skills Championships will be held in Russia in 2023.

More photos from the Closing Ceremony and all the Winners can be found on the EuroSkills 2021 Flickr-Account.