#SnowStories: A big talent from a small nation – Anur Mehić is proud to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anur Mehić (BIH) speaks with the kind of certainty you hear from athletes twice his age. For a 16-year-old carrying the weight of a small skiing nation, he has never sounded burdened or phased by the responsibility.  

What began as a hobby alongside his older brother has turned into a rapid rise through children’s races and into FIS competitions, where he’s making a name for himself and proving that he belongs on the slopes.

“It was mostly amateur [at first] but I followed in his path,” the level-headed teen began, speaking to FIS. “Then I started winning and saw that I have potential to go further.

“I had some really good results in the children’s season and now this is my first year in FIS, so it got a lot more serious, but it is going well now.”

The young skier has had some notable results across the last season, coming into his own across the Giant Slalom and Slalom.

Mehić has earned himself a ‘wild card’ reputation from coaches who watch him compete thanks to his positive attitude. It makes him confident in a way that is not misplaced, nor is it indicative of arrogance. Instead, it comes from results and the ever-present support of his family.

As a teenager from Bosnia and Herzegovina, each time he laces up and races on the snow is bigger than the last. It is a chance to put his country on the map and show what is possible when talent is afforded opportunity.

“It is an honor for me to represent my country,” he said, brimming with pride.

“Most people don’t even know about my country, they come up to me and ask what BIH stands for.

“I’m honored to represent my country and help grow its presence in alpine skiing. Skiing for a small nation gives me drive to work harder and prove that we can compete at high level. It means a lot when I do achieve great results that are historic.”

Nestled in his sense of pride is the pressure and responsibility that Anur thrives on. He is at the very beginning of a promising career, one where the sky is the limit.

Anur Mehić: The turning point

Mehić carries himself with the utmost confidence in his ability to perform on the snow. It hasn’t always been that way coming through the ranks, but 2025 proved a pivotal turning point for the young Bosnian.

Back-to-back first place finishes in junior races sparked something within him, a realization that he has what it takes to compete.

Coming into the final stage of the 2025/26 season has seen that growth manifest in several podium finishes in FIS competitions, including four wins. It is no easy feat, particularly at this age, yet Mehić takes it in his stride like the ultimate professional.

“I was usually more of a GS skier, I usually prefer it,” he revealed. “I didn’t like Slalom but then something clicked for me.

“Last year I got a bit stronger, a bit taller, and I got my confidence in Slalom. With every race, everything just clicked even more.”

It was a shift in momentum that saw him grow into his self-assured nature, taking to his first competitive year with FIS like a veteran.

“I thought I was going to lose myself in FIS a little bit because I like winning and people don’t usually win when they first enter,” Mehić added.

“[But] I had a few wins in Switzerland and Italy and lots of great results and I managed to get my points down in Slalom. It [has been] a great season.”

He doesn’t need to be winning to take to the slopes with belief in himself, though. In fact, he finds that looking to the best skiers gives him the boost he needs.

That could be his age mates on the starting line with him, or the likes of Croatia’s Ivica Kostelić — an ‘inspiring’ role model he had the opportunity to work with at a young age.

“With every win I got more confidence. But even when I wasn’t winning, I was always looking at the best skiers and I just wanted to be one of those guys that everyone was talking about before the start, one of the favourites.

“I think, with every win, I got closer to that. Every race just gives me more confidence.”

Anur Mehić: ‘The risk is worth taking’

For many sports personnel, regardless of discipline, pressure is a privilege. Whether that pressure comes from representing their respective nations or from being dubbed the favorites going into competition – to feel it is to care.

Mehić is one of those athletes.

“My coaches tell me that I have a wild card and that is that I have a really good racing attitude,” he said. “That is something that is very important in our sport, having that attitude and having that mental strength.

“I just don’t think about the pressure. I heard a lot of great athletes say that if you don’t have the pressure of expectations then you don’t care that much. I think I like the pressure because it means I do care. I like having expectations, I like having people watch me.” 

Yet even for someone with unshakable belief, Mehić still found himself second guessing the sacrifices that come with committing everything to Alpine Skiing.

Watching the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 sparked an internal debate about risk versus reward. To give everything to reach the pinnacle of sport, but to leave empty-handed or not finishing at all, begs the question: is it worth it?

It was a short-lived debate for the teen, who quickly concluded that the dream of reaching the Olympic stage heavily outweighs all else.

“I think it is worth it because our sport is very tough but very beautiful at the same time,” the Bosnian concluded.

“Even though there is a lot of risk in doing this sport, a lot of sacrifice, I think that maybe [competing at the Olympics] one day, that’s the dream. It is a risk worth taking for me.”

At his current age, he understandably likes to keep expectations in check, with plenty of new opportunities and challenges coming his way. In four years, the goal is to be at the next Games, though it’ll be in eight years’ time when Mehić believes he will be pushing for a podium position on the biggest stage of all.

For now, though, he is just enjoying each day – each race – as it comes with his family by his side, cheering him on at every finish line.

Mehić plans to do to exactly what he encourages others to do: “[I’m motivated by] believing in myself and knowing I can go a long way. It’s a long way to the top, but it is a risk worth taking.”

With #SnowStories, FIS sheds a light on the thousands of characters, across all levels and around the whole world, that are the true beating heart of snow sports.