He made his debut in the Senior World Cup in the 2003/2004 season and obtained an extraordinary second place in Vienna at the age of 18. In the following season, he won his first senior World Cup in Espinho, Portugal. In 2005 he got gold (individual) and a bronze (team) at the Universiade held in Izmir, Turkey followed by a bronze (individual) and gold (team) at the Europeans in Zalaegerszeg. These results, at just 19 years old, cast him definitively into the quartet of the titular national team. Confirmation of that comes at his first Senior World Championship in Leipzig: sixth in the individual event and silver in team.