It was certainly a tough second day for Team Europe in the Cadet World Championships 2024, held in Lima, Peru. After swiping all the titles on day one, the European athletes saw the rise of Pan America and Asia on day two, but still managed to secure one well-earned title in the -66kg category.
The -48kg category welcomed the 2023 -44kg Cadet World Champion back to the top spot on the podium, Clarice RIBEIRO (BRA) once again gave a world-class performance, adding a fifth major medal to her collection. Mongolia’s JAMSRAN Anudari settled for silver, and the first bronze went to Nycolly CARNEIRO (BRA). Poland had already claimed a bronze medal on day one from Sandra WALENDZIK in the -40kg category, which had clearly created a fire in the belly of her team mates as Barbara TWAROWSKA won the second -48kg bronze.
Continuing with the Polish success, Cadet European silver medallist, Jakub KUROWSKI secured a sensational bronze medal against Georgia’s Merabi SAMADASHVILI in the -60kg category. After ceding two shidos and coming close countless times with a ballistic uchi mata, he played Samadashvili at his own game, countering a counter attack! Samadashvili waited patiently to counter uchi mata with ura nage but Kurowski sensed it coming, and switched direction during Samadashvili’s execution to win the world medal. The victor of the -60kg category was Jonathan YANG (USA) who had a tense final against Japan’s YAMAMOTO Fuku, scoring in the final minute and defending impeccably to earn USA’s first ever Cadet world title.
Georgia were hoping for a national final between Giorgi GIVISHVILI and Vasil GAMEZARDASHVILI, however the latter lost out to the current European Champion, Abdullakh PARCHIEV (IJF), sending him to the bronze medal contest with Boris JANKOVIC (SRB). The bronze eventually won by Jankovic who scored waza ari with sumi gaeshi, with only 20 seconds left on the clock!
Givishvili however won his semi final contest against Baptiste DE ARAUJO (FRA), advancing to the final, as in the European Championships, with Parchiev. Incredibly, with only four seconds left on the clock, European Champion Parchiev was issued a third shido and Givishvili was left in disbelief as he left the tatami as World Champion.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen