Other Pointers

Aiming Artists: Goran Mikec and Tea Mikec

Živa Dvoršak

Jun 5, 2026

After quite a long pause since our last Aiming Artists feature, we’re back! This time, we had the chance to sit down with Goran Mikec, who was invited as a lecturer and coach educator to host an air pistol training camp in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He didn’t come alone: he brought his daughter Tea Mikec, who, despite growing up around shooting and elite-level competition, only began training seriously three years ago, yet has already achieved several notable results at junior and senior levels.

Goran is a respected coach and brother of elite Serbian shooter Damir Mikec, Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo 2021 in the air pistol individual event and gold medallist in Paris 2024 in the air pistol mixed event with Zorana Arunović.

Despite a busy weekend at the Ljubljana camp, Goran and Tea Mikec discussed training, competition pressure, coaching, and the habits driving long-term shooting success. Here’s what they had to say.

Writing Notes – Yes or No? And Why?

Goran: I’m a strong advocate of note-taking, but not just brief notes. At every training session, I record the session structure, training tasks, every shot, the position of each hit, execution quality, and recommendations for the next session. Over time, this becomes a detailed database. My hope is to eventually develop a model that enables better analysis and, maybe, even prediction of certain performance patterns during competition.

That is exactly why I believe that keeping an athlete’s journal in the format that Shooting Notes offers is extremely valuable. It gives every athlete, at any level, the same power to track, reflect, and improve. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Tea: Unfortunately, I don’t write notes regularly, but I know how important they are. I definitely plan to be more consistent with it because I can already see how useful they can be for progress.

Setting Goals: How and When?

Goran: Goals are set at the beginning of the season, with regular check-ins along the way. You need to know your direction – where you’re going, how far you’ve come, and how fast you’re moving. Sometimes adjustments are necessary, like changing sails in the wind. You can zigzag a bit, but you should always be moving toward the target.

Tea, what is your SOS Exit, when competition pressure kicks in?

Tea: For me, the SOS exit is music. I have a few songs that help me reset and calm down.

Positive self-talk is also really important. It helps me feel more grounded and confident before stepping on the line.

Goran, what is your approach when addressing competition pressure for beginners and world-class shooters? Is there any difference?

Goran: There is no big difference – but there is a difference.

Both beginners and world-class shooters need a proper warm-up routine and genuine confidence in their training process. That is the first line of defence against competition pressure.

At the end of the day, competition pressure is internal, and the goal is to keep things simple and not overthink. The difference is that elite athletes have already learned how to make peace and live with that pressure. Beginners still need to discover that pressure is actually normal.

You were invited to host a workshop in Ljubljana introducing the basics of air pistol training and the coach–athlete dynamic. From your perspective, Goran, what are the three key priorities for coaches when training pistol shooters? And Tea, what are the three main things you focus on in your own training and preparation?

Goran:

Proper shooting technique and tactics.
Adequate general and specific physical strength.
Psychological techniques.

Tea:

Preparing mentally before shooting and staying focused on my daily goal.
Giving my maximum effort in every session.
Working consistently on my shooting form.

ELITE ATHLETES HAVE ALREADY LEARNED HOW TO MAKE PEACE WITH PRESSURE. BEGINNERS STILL NEED TO DISCOVER THAT PRESSURE IS ACTUALLY NORMAL.

Tea, when is Goran your dad and when your coach?

Goran is always my dad, no matter where we are, even at the shooting range. He’s never just one or the other. I would say he’s a perfect mix of both. Most importantly, he is always there for me with support and encouragement, no matter the situation ❤️

Goran, you also coach your brother Damir. Where does the family relationship end and coaching begins?

Damir is first and foremost my brother, and only then the athlete I coach.

Because I know his daily life so well, I have a full understanding of all the factors that influence his performance. This allows me to tailor the training system to get the maximum effect.

Of course, the line between family and work is not always easy to maintain. But we have learned to respect two separate roles – when we are training, we are coach and athlete. That mutual respect and trust, built over a lifetime, is actually one of our biggest advantages.

Final thoughts: could you both give advice for shooters and for coaches?

Goran:

Shooters, be consistent with all the small things that bring you closer to your goal, and yes: dry fire, dry fire, dry fire

Coaches, keep educating yourself, keep detailed records of your work, and always aim for an individual approach with every athlete.

Tea:

Coaches, trust is the foundation for a good relationship with your shooter. Keep in mind that respect and communication go both ways.

Shooters, focus on small wins and celebrate them. Keep moving forward, because everything counts as a win when the goal is to gain experience.

Goran Mikec (1977) is a Serbian pistol coach (B+ and ISSF PRO licenses; awaiting A licence). He has extensive experience with elite athletes, including his brother Damir Mikec. Under his coaching, Damir Mikec has achieved major international success, including Olympic silver in Tokyo (ind.), Olympic gold in Paris (mixed team), ECH gold in Tallinn (ind. and mixed team), and a WCH silver medal in Baku (ind.).

Tea Mikec (2007) is an air pistol shooter competing in both junior and senior categories. In the 2025/26 season, she has twice broken the national junior record and has already gained valuable experience competing at the senior international level, including at the ECH in Yerevan. One of her standout results includes a 4th place at the H&N Cup in Munich 2026.

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