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The -48kg category is 22-strong for the 2025 Senior European Judo Championships in Podgorica, Montenegro, with a host of Olympic and World medallists as well as rising stars desperate to make their mark on the senior circuit.
One of those destined for greatness is Patricia TOMANKOVA from Slovakia. Debuting on the Cadet circuit in 2022, Tomankova claimed a gold medal in Lignano and for 22 consecutive events, never left a tournament without a medal, in fact, she has only missed one in her international career thus far! Holding Cadet European and World titles as well as gold in the European Youth Olympic Festival, Tomankova has been working hard to advance herself in the -48kg, with her previous success coming in the lighter division, however a gold in the Poznan Junior European Cup at her new weight was a good sign!
Unseeded and unranked for the Senior European Championships, it will be a tough first run, but the experience is second to none.
Now, let’s look at the heavy hitters in the top positions. Leading the category is Tara BABULFATH, Olympic bronze medallist and rising star for Sweden, still only 19 years old. After a short break, Babulfath steadied herself back to the tatami with a win in the U23 European Championships in 2024, then hit the ground running in 2025 claiming Grand Slam silver in Baku and two bronze in Paris and Tbilisi.
In the second seeded position, Assunta SCUTTO (ITA) is still finding her feet, 2024 was a difficult year for the Italian athlete but a second place result in the World Championships in Abu Dhabi was a medal filled with relief, and though she missed out on the podium during the Olympic Games, she is still early in her judo journey. It will be interesting to see how she fares in Podgorica.
Next up is three-time European Champion, Shirine BOUKLI of France, taking titles in 2020, 2022 and in her home of Montpellier in 2023. Similarly to Babulfath, Boukli has been finding her way to the podium but the gold is evading her at the moment, but as an athlete who has so much European success already, perhaps this will be her great comeback. Perhaps keen to rival Boukli is Catarina COSTA (POR), who in two European finals, found herself falling just short of the gold.
Laura MARTINEZ ABELENDA may be the leading athlete for the Spanish delegation in this category, however she is being chased down by compatriot, 22 year-old Eva PEREZ SOLER. Beginning her journey on the IJF World Judo Tour in 2023, Perez has been battling for a podium place, and it came to her this year not once, but twice. In the Baku Grand Slam she placed third, and then in Tbilisi took silver. It is a good projection for the young athlete who has sights set on greater achievement.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen