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The first gold medal on day two of the Senior European Judo Championships 2025 was decided in the -57kg category, between Eteri LIPARTELIANI (GEO) and Seija BALLHAUS (GER).
Both athletes were hesitant in the first half of the contest, and as a result picked up a shido each, but it was Ballhaus to put a waza ari score on the board with an o soto gari. With continental championship medals as a junior and title at U23, the senior medal medal was the natural next step.
We had a plan, she [Liparteliani] likes to stay very close, so I needed to keep this distance between us and when I had the right feeling I attacked, before this I felt comfortable but as soon as I had this score, she came very hard and I could feel the danger. It was a hard year, I didn’t go to the Olympic Games, but I had some time off, and this year has been much better, the gold in Linz really motivated me and I felt so good today. Hearing ‘European Champion’ sounds really nice.
The crowd may have been behind Marica PERISIC (SRB) in the opening bronze medal contest of the -57kg category, but she was up against a tough opponent, a rising star of 2025, Martha FAWAZ (FRA). It was Fawaz to put a score on the board in the first half of the contest with o soto gaeshi. It has been such an incredible year for the up and coming French athlete and this was a wonderful performance for her first senior European medal.
It is my debut at senior European Championships and I’m just so happy to have this medal, little by little everything is coming together and I’m proud. Even though I lost in the quarter final, it was my favourite contest against Timna [Nelson Levy], it was a beautiful fight!
Timna NELSON LEVY (ISR) took to the tatami in the following bronze medal contest again Veronica TONIOLO (ITA), both picking up two shidos and venturing in to golden score. It was such an even battle, that it lasted 12 minutes in total, but the third and final shido was awarded to Nelson Levy, and the bronze medal to Toniolo.
In the final of the -73kg category, Danil LAVRENTEV (IJF) came with one goal, and that was to redeem his final result from 2024 and replace his silver with a 2025 gold. He did just that. An incredible battle ensued against Manuel LOMBARDO (ITA) who’d demonstrated his prowess throughout the day, however he was somewhat restricted by Lavrentev’s style. As in previous contests, Lavrentev showed his skills on the ground, and this is how he managed to take his first senior title, with a crushing osaekomi.
As a junior, I trained with my father every day in ne waza, so I am very comfortable there, and today it helped me to win the European title and I’m so happy. I want to say thanks to my family and coach, I have trained so hard and long for this, and the silver medal last year has been my biggest motivation. It was a hard fight with Manuel Lombardo, I have fought him twice before and lost so to win here is good for me.
Lasha SHAVDATUASHVILI (GEO) and France’s Olympic hero, silver medallist in Paris, Joan-Benjamin GABA have gone head to head four times prior to their bronze medal match in Podgorica, most recently the semi final of the Tbilisi Grand Slam when the Georgian was victorious. After a 16 minute quarter final contest, it was a surprise that Shavdatuashvili was able to continue with such vigour in to yet another golden score for bronze, yet he battled fiercely for ten minutes. Unfortunately, his effort was not rewarded though, and instead Gaba claimed the medal on this occasion with some beautiful ashi waza.
SZEGEDI Daniel (HUN) was up next against Rashid MAMMADALIYEV (AZE), and though it was a tough contest, it was controlled by the Azerbaijan athlete, and in turn, forced Szegedi to cede his third shido with only nine seconds left on the clock.
It was a very tough final block for the French women in the -63kg category, in the final, Clarisse AGBEGNENOU (FRA) was looking for her sixth title, and throughout the day it looked like it could very well be on it’s way, but of course she had one final hurdle, the defending European Champion, Renata ZACHOVA (CZE). It started as many contests do, however Agbegnenou failed to change her gripping strategy and received hansoku make. Despite the win not coming to Zachova by a winning technique, she was worthy of her European gold, displaying a variety of technique and throwing with one of the ‘throws of the day’, a huge ura nage to seal her fate in the gold medal contest.
In my semi final, she picked up two shidos and I felt good, that I just had to keep pushing but I was getting very tired and I couldn’t believe it but I picked up two as well. Then she changed her gripping and I just felt the perfect way to throw with ura nage and it was such a great feeling. Of course, it’s not the way I wanted to win but I had so much stress coming here, there was pressure from last years gold and I’m happy I could defend the title. I have spent a lot of time in Japan and really worked on my technical ability, it’s paying off!
Unfortunately, the same fate was held by Manon DEKETER (FRA) in the first of the bronze medal contests for attacking against the elbow, handing the win to the current World Champion, Joanne VAN LIESHOUT (NED).
Carlotta AVANZATO (ITA) truly had her day in the sun. Ranked #59 in the world, she came in with a tough draw, but saw out not only one but two of Croatia’s incredible athletes, regulars on the IJF World Judo Tour and an Olympic fifth. Finally, she was faced with Lubjana PIOVESANA (AUT) who gave a heartfelt performance today. Then only 15 seconds in to golden score, Avanzato scored with a great ko uchi gake, taking her first senior European medal.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen