Palermaa and Mallia Take Early Lead at European Youth Championships 2026

Mar 30, 2026 | By Erikas Jansonas

Europe

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Palermaa and Mallia Take Early Lead at European Youth Championships 2026

Mar 30, 2026 | By Erikas Jansonas

Europe

The European Youth Championships 2026 in Berlin, Germany is officially underway.

After two opening squads, Finland’s Emma Palermaa and Malta’s Nicolai Mallia moved into the top positions in the girls and boys divisions, setting the early pace in the race for the first medals of the week.

In the girls division, Palermaa leads the standings with a six-game total of 1,340. Sweden’s Saga Johansson sits in second place with 1,321, followed by France’s Manon Clement in third with 1,299. Estonia’s Kaisa-Ly Lee currently holds fourth position with 1,272, which is the cut line for the semifinals at this stage.

Just outside the top four, Sweden’s Elin Bergqvist is fifth with 1,262. Norway’s Madelen Thorsrudhagen Danielsen follows in sixth place with 1,231, while her teammate Emilie Marie Aas is seventh with 1,224. Germany’s Saskia Kirschke stands in eighth with 1,214. England’s Chloe Birch is ninth with 1,205, and Czech Republic’s Pavla Zackova rounds out the current top 10 with 1,201.

Rank Player Nat. Total Avg.
1 Emma Palermaa Finland 1,340 223.33
2 Saga Johansson Sweden 1,321 220.17
3 Manon Clement France 1,299 216.50
4 Kaisa-Ly Lee Estonia 1,272 212.00
✂️ SEMIFINALS CUT LINE ✂️
5 Elin Bergqvist Sweden 1,262 210.33
6 Madelen Thorsrudhagen Danielsen Norway 1,231 205.17
7 Emilie Marie Aas Norway 1,224 204.00
8 Saskia Kirschke Germany 1,214 202.33
9 Chloe Birch England 1,205 200.83
10 Pavla Zackova Czech Republic 1,201 200.17

In the boys division, Nicolai Mallia leads the field with a strong 1,408 total over six games. Slovakia’s Matúš Hrušovský is in second place with 1,386, while Greece’s Spyridon Lykiardopoulos sits third with 1,336. Italy’s Giovanni Visconti currently holds fourth place with 1,332, which would secure a semifinal spot if the standings remain unchanged.

Italy’s Marco Rosellini is fifth with 1,319, followed by Sweden’s Philip Strandgren in sixth with 1,293. England’s Jayden Hartley also has 1,293 and sits seventh. Germany’s Lukas Wolter is eighth with 1,292, just ahead of Croatia’s Vedran Barunčić in ninth with the same total. Denmark’s Oscar Emil Porskrøg completes the top 10 with 1,285.

Rank Player Nationality Total Pins (6 Games) Avg.
1 Nicolai Mallia Malta 1,408 234.67
2 Matúš Hrušovský Slovakia 1,386 231.00
3 Spyridon Lykiardopoulos Greece 1,336 222.67
4 Giovanni Visconti Italy 1,332 222.00
✂️ SEMIFINALS CUT LINE ✂️
5 Marco Rosellini Italy 1,319 219.83
6 Philip Strandgren Sweden 1,293 215.50
7 Jayden Hartley England 1,293 215.50
8 Lukas Wolter Germany 1,292 215.33
9 Vedran Barunčić Croatia 1,292 215.33
10 Oscar Emil Porskrøg Denmark 1,285 214.17

The top four players in each division will advance to the semifinals and compete for the first medals at the European Youth Championships 2026.

One more girls squad and two boys squads are scheduled for tomorrow starting at 9 AM local time. After that, the competition will move into the semifinals and finals to decide the champions in both divisions.

European Youth Championships 2026

Don't miss a frame from Berlin! Watch the continent's top young talents live and keep track of the latest standings.

Boys and girls compete on different lane patterns, which have been set after the Managers Meeting on early Sunday morning.

European Youth Championships 2026 Oil Patterns

Girls Pattern

Girls oil pattern of the European Youth Championships 2026 in Berlin

Boys Pattern

Boys oil pattern of the European Youth Championships 2026 in Berlin

Schedule

Time (CET) Event
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – Singles Finals
08:00 – 09:00 Lane maintenance
09:00 – 12:15 Singles Squad 3 (Boys and Girls)
12:15 – 13:15 Lane maintenance
13:15 – 16:30 Singles Squad 4 (Boys)
16:30 – 17:30 Lane maintenance
17:30 – 18:00 Singles semi-finals
18:00 – 18:30 Singles finals
18:30 – 18:45 Medal ceremony
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 – Doubles
08:00 – 09:00 Lane maintenance
09:00 – 12:15 Doubles Squad 1 (Boys)
12:15 – 13:15 Lane maintenance
13:15 – 16:30 Doubles Squad 2 (Boys and Girls)
Thursday, April 2, 2026 – Doubles Finals
08:00 – 09:00 Lane maintenance
09:00 – 12:15 Doubles Squad 3 (Boys and Girls)
12:15 – 13:15 Lane maintenance
13:15 – 16:30 Doubles Squad 4 (Boys and Girls)
16:30 – 17:30 Lane maintenance
17:30 – 18:15 Doubles semi-finals
18:15 – 19:00 Doubles finals
19:00 – 19:15 Medal ceremony
Friday, April 3, 2026 – Team Event (Block 1)
08:00 – 09:00 Lane maintenance
09:00 – 12:15 Team Block 1 (Boys, Games 1–3)
12:15 – 13:15 Lane maintenance
13:15 – 16:30 Team Block 1 (Boys and Girls, Games 1–3)
Saturday, April 4, 2026 – Team Finals
08:00 – 09:00 Lane maintenance
09:00 – 12:15 Team Block 2 (Boys and Girls, Games 4–6)
12:15 – 13:15 Lane maintenance
13:15 – 16:30 Team Block 2 (Boys, Games 4–6)
16:30 – 17:30 Lane maintenance
17:30 – 18:45 Team semi-finals
18:45 – 20:00 Team finals
20:00 – 20:30 Team medal ceremony
20:30 – 21:00 All-events medal ceremony
Sunday, April 5, 2026 – Masters Finals
07:00 – 08:00 Lane maintenance
08:00 – 09:15 Masters Step 1 (Boys Top 16)
09:15 – 10:15 Lane maintenance
10:15 – 11:30 Masters Step 1 (Girls Top 16)
11:30 – 12:30 Lane maintenance
12:30 – 13:45 Masters Step 2 (Top 8 Boys and Girls)
13:45 – 14:30 Lane maintenance
14:30 – 15:45 Masters semi-finals
15:45 – 17:00 Masters finals
17:00 – 17:30 Medal ceremony

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