23 April 2025

Europe's Best On Show

European Judo Championships Seniors Podgorica 2025

Europe's Best On Show

The final block of day one at the European Judo Championships Podgorica 2025 made a strong impression, offering plenty to celebrate and remember. France had reason to cheer with two gold medal performances, while Kosovo and Georgia each enjoyed a glorious moment.

-48kg category: Shirine Shines Again

The -48kg category opened up in a fast pace with the first bronze medal contest secured by back-to-back scores from Assunta SCUTTO (ITA) against Amber GERSJES (NED). Contrary to what happened during the second bronze medal contest between Laura MARTINEZ ABELENDA (ESP) versus Andrea STOJADINOV (SRB). The long bout, spent with penalties for both went into golden score, where another set of four minutes, equal to the clear contest time, ran its course… and more. At nearly the six minute mark of the extra time, Stojadinov received her second penalty, evening up the score board but shortly after, a false-attack from Martinez resulted in her picking up her third and final penalty, and with that, Stojadinov celebrated her 2025 senior European bronze medal.

The final saw Catarina COSTA (POR) and Shirine BOUKLI (FRA) heading out to meet in the middle. Unlike Boukli, the Portugese judoka was yet to collect her first European title. Within a minute and half, the score board showed yuko a piece, re-affirming that neither of them will wait around for given glory but rather take matters in to their own hands. Yet, tactics began to play a part and Costa soon found two penalties next to her name. Golden score shortly followed where Boukli attempted her signature technique on multiple occasions but hadn’t quite managed to land Costa for a score. Nevertheless, it was enough to land the Portuguese judoka her final penalty. Boukli of course was pleased,

“Of course I am happy to have won my fourth title but this one felt really important. It meant a lot to me. I took the silver medal in the Olympic Games, bronze medal in the Bercy Arena and I really really needed this gold and I’m so happy that I won here today, the European championships is a big deal.

“As for fighting against Costa, every time it is a great fight, we know each other so well which obviously makes it more difficult. It gives me the opportunity to try something new and also to stay strong mentally as I scored first but then she’s scored, it meant almost like we were starting a new fight and then into golden score. She took the two penalties so it meant that she had to take a risk and she was under more stress and this worked for me but I am just so happy to be European champion again.”

-60kg category: Georgian Glory

The first bronze medal contest saw Ahmad YUSIFOV (AZE) and Olympic bronze medallist, Francisco GARRIGOS (ESP). At 1:24 left on the clock, Yusifov caught Garrigos in action off his reverse seoi-nage entry, flattening the Spanish judoka on his back. The second bronze medal saw the experienced and well-decorated Luka MKHEIDZE (FRA) up against world ranked #105 Ashik ANDREYAN (ARM). Given the performance of the latter throughout the preliminary rounds, the contest was unpredictable and it remained open shortly after the extra time began at which point, Mkheidze collected the deciding score by a morote-seoi-nage.

In the final, two extremely strong contenders stood a step away from the 2025 European Championship title. Ayub BLIEV (IJF) and Giorgi SARDALASHVILI (GEO) went head to head in a fast pace contest instantly, yet it was not until golden score that the Georgian judoka managed to catch Bliev with an o-uchi-gari action, which needed repositioning and with the right control, landed the winning score and with that the first senior European title for the current world champion, Sardalashvili.

Sardalashvili: “All of my team are European Champions and I was missing this! I know to take World and European titles together is so hard so I am very happy. Today, I was listening to my coach but my brother was also here and it was so nice to be able to hear his in the crowd with the team. Next year, I am looking forward to defending my title at home in Tbilisi. Georgia really love judo and this motivates me so much.”

-52kg category: Krasniqi In Full Control

The first bronze medal bout between Naomi VAN KREVEL (NED) and Gefen PRIMO (ISR) landed a nine minute-long effort from both and ended with Dutch celebration as Van Krevel dug deep and threw her opponent for ippon by an astonishing o-goshi. The second bronze medal contest brought GYERTYAS Roza (HUN) and Ariane TORO SOLER (ESP) in the hot seat. To begin with, the Hungarian was effortlessly drilling her ne-waza skills, yet it was a counter attack from the Spanish athlete who took the lead by a waza-ari. Following that, Toro Soler demonstrated her own ne-waza routine to claim bronze.

The final saw two real power houses making their way to the final, namely Distria KRASNIQI (KOS) and Odette GIUFFRIDA (ITA). Double Olympic medallist Krasniqi took a yuko lead within the first minute which she doubled up soon after. The chasing became a must for the Italian but she was unable to level up on this occasion, resulting in Krasniqi celebrating her third senior European victory.

Krasniqi: “I don’t know what it is, or where it has come from but I have this motivation right now. After Tokyo it was difficult but I had the challenge of a new category, so I thought after Paris it would be even more difficult to come back but this year I am training harder than before, I love judo and I don’t know what I would do if I stopped. This year was hard, I took a silver and bronze in Paris and Linz, so I needed this gold medal, it’s nice that it happened in the European Championships and it wasn’t easy, fighting Odette [Giuffrida] is hard every time, she is the World Champion and I have to work hard to find new ways but now I have my third title so I’m happy.”

-66kg category: Bouba Breaks Title Drought

The first bout for one of the bronze medals was decided between Adrian NIETO CHINARRO (ESP) and Luukas SAHA (FIN). The pair went head-to-head, sparing no effort and picking up an even amount of penalties on the way. With little over 20 seconds left to go, Saha threw his last efforts in which was enough to penalise his opponent for one last time and with that, claim his first ever senior European medal. The second bronze medal contest saw Walide KHYAR (FRA) and Matteo PIRAS (ITA) managing a similar way, however the pair went into golden score where Khyar threw for waza-ari to book his spot on the podium.

The final contest of the day started off with great intensity as both Murad CHOPANOV (IJF) and Daikii BOUBA (FRA) secured a waza-ari a piece within the first minute. The tempo never dipped for the next four minutes and within the first minute of extra time, the French judoka applied his ashi-waza skills to secure France’s second gold medal of the day.

Bouba: “This is huge because I never won a major title, the last time was in the French National Championships 2021! Today I felt very good all day, then in the final, I started well with a score but then my opponent scored and it made me a little hesitant but I found my confidence again and is a huge motivation for me moving forward. I hope this will help me in my selection for the World Championships and of course, I want to win a medal there!”

Judoka

Author: Szandra Szogedi