We knew that Celia CANCAN (FRA/+78) had talent. The 18-year-old Frenchwoman won two World Championships and two European Championships medals in the cadet class and also secured two European Cup successes. However, Cancan realised her full potential for the first time on Saturday in Tallinn (EST). “I think it was something like a perfect day today, I felt really good right from the start. The European Championships Juniors title is like a redemption, everything has finally come together for me.”
The figures speak for themselves: Cancan needed a whole 4:12 minutes for her victory, not in the final but across all four fights. She won four times with ippon. Her first victory on the big junior stage was never in doubt.
“Yes, there wasn’t a single moment when I doubted myself.” Not even in the semi-final against Marcelina VRANJES (CRO), who had inflicted her only defeat this year at the start of the season in Lignano (ITA). Celia Cancan was the winner after 51 seconds this time.
Her record in 2024 is 12:1, and the defeat to Vranjes in Lignano was a one-off slip-up. “It’s pretty cool that I was able to win the European title in my first year as a junior. I wouldn’t have expected that at the start of the year.”
But so far Celia hasn’t had anything like the perfect day either. Like this Saturday in Tallinn.
Author: EJU Media