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It was a true fairytale situation for next years Individual European Championships hosts, Georgia. Meeting them in the final of the Mixed Team European Championships 2025 were the formidable Italian team, who had broken their record this week, taking eight medals. Their strength continued on to the final day, battling their way to the gold medal contest.
In the first contest was the men’s -73kg, Manuel LOMBARDO (ITA) faced Mikheili BAKHBAKHASHVILI of Georgia, and the pair were cat-like in their defence, swiftly avoiding scores and keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats, but in the end it was sasae tsuri komi ashi from Lombardo that scored yuko, and later he finished the contest with shime waza.
The first of the women were -70kg, Mariam TCHANTURIA (GEO) and Giorgia STANGHERLIN (ITA). It was a brutal back and forth, with the contest going in to golden score, and at a moment it looked in favour of the Italian athlete, she attacked with a drop seoi nage but it wasn’t strong enough and Tchanturia was able to counter, evening the score.
Team Italy’s men continued their dominance as Christian PARLATI came in close to catch Luka MAISURADZE (GEO), first destabilising him with sasae tsuri komi ashi before turning in for a low uchi mata. Maisuradze tried to over spin to avoid the score, but it was a sure ippon. Asya TAVANO continued the winning streak for the Italians, throwing Sophio SOMKHISHVILI with harai goshi and transitioning immediately in to the osae komi.
It was Guram TUSHISHVILI that started the Georgian comeback, catching Gennaro PIRELLI in osae komi and holding on for his life for 20 seconds, Pirelli stood no chance of escape. Lastly, Eteri LIPARTELIANI was the -57kg hope for Georgia, and it was her duty to win and even the team score which she successfully accomplished against Veronica TONIOLO, pulling her from the tatami to throw with a low tani otoshi in golden score. For Liparteliani, this win meant a great deal,
It was a great motivation for us to win the mixed team gold. Especially for me, since I lost the final in the individual event. This gold medal is now twice as valuable for me. I wanted to fight Germany in the mixed team. In the individual event, I lost to Seija BALLHAUS and got the silver medal. Now I won the contest. It doesn’t bring me the gold medal in the individual event but it is a motivation that I won the match. In the future I will try to do my best to get the gold medal.
With the teams 3:3, the draw was conducted and the roulette finally landed on the +70kg women’s category. Tavano and Somkhishvili. After a passionate pep talk from the respective teams, the women stood face to face to decide the European title.
Immediately, Somkhishvili went in for the attack, using her power to attack with harai, then switched her grip around the back and used all of her force to throw Tavano with ko soto gake. The crowd went wild, the Georgian delegation were up in arms and the celebrations ensued. It was very emotional for the team who historically have not had strong women, but this medal proves something very different. Somkhishvili was proud to be the winning point,
I wanted that my weight category was chosen for the golden score because I lost my last match. Therefore, I had a great motivation and it was a responsibility because it is not the individual event but the team. I am very happy that we ended with the gold.
On the strength of the Georgian women today, Liparteliani explained,
It a big responsibility. We have done that for our country. We had our boys’ back and it is a great motivation for the young generation to be involved in women’s judo. We are happy to have the gold medal and we want to do everything for women’s judo.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen