The EUROPEAN JUDO UNION (EJU) leaves TALLINN full of satisfaction. “I can’t remember ever having seen such a high standard at the European Championships Juniors, especially not in the mixed team. It was unbelievable how high the density is at the top. On Sunday, a seventh deciding duel was necessary in all three mixed team final fights. Some of the decisive duels lasted over eight minutes. It was just as exciting as in Paris – in the Gold Medal match between France and Japan,” enthused EJU President László TOTH on the sidelines of the EJU Executive Committee meeting in Tallinn.
“I’m not surprised when the Azerbaijani head coach says that he expects up to six judoka from his Junior European Championship team from Tallinn to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in four years’ time. The same applies to some of the French, Serbs, Turks, Dutch and others. And it was nice to see that the proportion of fights decided by penalties was very low.”
For Tóth, the most emotional moment of the four days of the European Championships Juniors in Tallinn was honouring Tõnu Lume. “We have known each other for more than 25 years. As the first Judo Association president, he was instrumental in the rise of Estonian judo – Olympic medals included. He is still actively involved now,” emphasises the EJU President. “It’s no coincidence that Estonia has won two silver medals in front of its own audience. And it is also no coincidence that the 80 or so members of the organising committee delivered a smooth European Championships. The European judo family felt very comfortable in Tallinn.”’ Postscript: ‘We will be back very soon.’
Europe’s elite will be travelling to the World Championships Juniors in Dushanbe (TJK) at the beginning of October with high expectations. “The European Championship medallists from Tallinn will also be competing for victory in Tajikistan. I’m not worried about that!”
László Tóth’s next business trip is planned for the European Open in Prague at the end of September. The EJU Get-Together Tour – with Adapted Judo – is already making a guest appearance in GDANSK (POL) the upcoming weekend.
Author: EJU Media