The captain of the 2023 U21 world champions finished the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as Germany’s top scorer with 52 goals. He was then named Germany’s Handball Player of the Year 2024 and was also honoured by the IHF as the Best Young Player of the Year 2024.
Uščins and his German teammates were facing elimination after the hugely surprising defeat against Serbia in the second match of the tournament, but managed to turn things around in the decisive match against Spain, which they won 34-32, and advanced to the main round as group winners with two points.
Now Uščins is particularly looking forward to the match against hosts and four-time world champions Denmark, tipped as hot favourites for the EHF EURO 2026 title.
“Nobody is unbeatable. We’re going into the game full of confidence, but everyone needs a very good day. These are the matches we’re here for — we want to measure ourselves against the best in the world, we want to break their flow,” says Uščins to the EHF website.
The fact that around 15,000 fans will be against him and his team gives Uščins an extra buzz.
“For me, it’s absolutely brilliant to play in front of several thousand spectators, like against France at the Olympics or last year at the World Championship against Denmark. I really enjoy it. These kinds of matches are a reward for your development.”