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Day one of the European Championships 2025 has not disappointed so far! As always, there were big surprises in the early rounds, seeing the exit of current European Champion, Vazha MARGVELASHVILI (GEO) and top seed of the -48kg category, Tara BABULFATH (SWE).
However in the -60kg category, all went according to seeding. The top four met in the semi final stages, first up were former and current World Champions, Francisco GARRIGOS (ESP) and Giorgi SARDALASHVILI (GEO). Garrigos was looking to defend his 2024 European title, however after some gruelling previous golden score contests, he was just off the beat and the young Georgian took advantage at every turn, eventually Garrigos ceded three shidos.
Luka MKHEIDZE (FRA) is coming off a high, the Olympic silver medallist returned to competition last month and took the Tbilisi Grand Slam gold, and carried the momentum with him today, but he was faced with Ayub BLIEV (IJF), the Tashkent Grand Slam winner. Bliev has taken European silver medals at cadet, junior and U23 level, and today will get the opportunity to fight for gold at senior, his ashi waza skills were incredible today, in the final minute scoring waza ari with ko soto gari, and then with only two seconds left on the clock, sealed his final fate with ko uchi gari.
Assunta SCUTTO (ITA) had a somewhat tough period last year but battled back in the senior World Championships to take a medal, and looked on form today in the -48kg category, however she was bested in her semi final by the three-time European Champion and Olympic bronze medallist, Shirine BOUKLI (FRA). It was a fantastic tactical approach from Boukli who was using her movement and extreme gripping to find a reaction, and threw with tai otoshi to score a contest-winning waza ari.
Facing Boukli for the gold medal in Podgorica Is long time rival, Catarina COSTA (POR). This is a special battle between the two, and one Costa will be determined to alter the fate of. On two previous occasions, the pair have faced each other in a European final, with Boukli as the victor, but Costa is looking especially strong today, defeating Andrea STOJADINOV (SRB) with a beautiful ko uchi gari in the semi final.
Top seed of the -66kg category, Murad CHOPANOV (IJF) will be looking to add a senior European title to his collection today, but it wasn’t an easy road to the final, especially with Matteo PIRAS (ITA) putting up quite the fight in the semi final. Chopanov simply wasn’t letting any opportunity go amiss, and Piras left himself unguarded, as he turned and stood up, Chopanov was ready and waiting to attack, and win with a huge ko soto gake.
Chopanov will now need to deal with Paris Grand Slam silver medallist, Daikii BOUBA (FRA) in the final for the European title. Luukas SAHA (FIN) was putting up a great offence but was caught up in his own footwork, allowing Bouba to attack with what initially looked to be ko soto gake but a lift almost transformed it in to an ura nage motion!
Distria KRASNIQI (KOS) is on the road to defend her 2024 European title win, throwing Ariane TORO SOLER (ESP) with a convincing ashi guruma, scoring ippon in the second minute of her semi final, but now the Olympic silver medallist in the -52kg category will take on World Champion, Odette GIUFFRIDA (ITA) who saw out Gefen PRIMO (ISR) in the opposite semi final.
Krasniqi and Giufridda have a history dating back a whole decade to the 2015 European Games, where the Italian was victorious in they second round bout. However in more recent history, and given their high ranking status, the pair typically go head to head in the latter stages of a competition. Last year, we saw them fight for the senior title, and today, Giuffrida is wanting the win!
Odette gefen drop
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen