While some of these young athletes have already succeeded at senior level, the prestige surrounding a European title at all ages is significant and the tension was high inside the Gopass Arena.
The historically strong Italian junior team led from the front with an historic first day of competition, highlighted by the final of the -52 kg category between teammates Gaia Stella and Ilaria Finestrone. Stella was crowned junior European champion and her gold was mirrored by Michela Terranova at -57 kg who improved on her bronze medal from 2024. Also on day 1, Francesco Sampino and Sofia Mazzola claimed silver and bronze medals respectively in the men’s -60 kg and women’s -48 kg categories.
The Italian success did not end on the first day, with Paris Olympian Savita Russo claiming her 2nd junior European title in the women's -63 kg division. With a silver medal at last year’s junior world championships, she will certainly be one to watch in Peru at the fast-approaching World Championships Juniors. On the final day of competition, Cristiano Mincinesi claimed the -90 kg crown, taking the Italian team to 4 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Dominance in the heavyweight women's categories belonged to France, with an all French final between Leonie Minkada-Caquineau and reigning champion Celia Cancan in the +78kg division. Cancan defended her European title as she looks to improve on her junior world silver medal won at the 2024 worlds. Lila Mazzarino was victorious in the -78 kg category, taking the French tally to 10 individual medals. After claiming the mixed team title on the final day of competition, the French delegation left Bratislava very pleased.
Serbia departed the Slovakian capital ecstatic with their third-place finish on the medal table off the back of Mihajlo Simin and Bilan Bulaja’s victories in the -81 kg and -100 kg categories respectively. Bulaja, the reigning European champion will be a major contender at the junior world championships in October.
The Azerbaijan men’s team performed as anticipated, with dominance in the lighter men’s categories. Already twice cadet world champion, Nihad Mamishov claimed his first junior European title at -60 kg, backed up by Mahammad Musayev in the -66 kg category. Musayev now holds cadet and junior European titles and follows the rich history of Azerbaijani men in this category. In the same category, Simas Polikevcius created his own history, securing Lithuania’s first medal at a junior European championship since 2005.
25 years of history was created the following day too, as Irakli Goginashvilli won Great Britain’s first men’s junior European title since brothers Thomas and Peter Cousins both won in 2000. Goginasvilli’s victory was the personification of fierce determination and fearless judo. He will be aiming to follow in his predecessors’ footsteps and stand on the junior and senior world championship podia in the years to come.
Spain’s lone gold medal was won by Atiana Diaz Hernanzez in the -48 kg category, with Inaki Baztan Merchan adding to the Spanish tally with silver at -81 kg. Turkiye’s Ecem Baysug didn’t allow her world ranking of 61 and lack of seeding stop her from securing her nation’s sole medal as she stood atop the podium of the -70-kg category after a remarkable performance. Representatives of the International Judo Federation (IJF) also performed strongly with 5 individual medals, highlighted by Bislan Katamardov’s victory in the +100 kg category. He took out Paris Olympian and reigning junior European champion Ibrahim Tataroglu from Türkiye. There is no doubt that Tataroglu will be looking for revenge in Lima.
With 14 junior European champions crowned in Bratislava, the attention of the junior national teams will turn firmly to the World Championships Juniors in Lima, Peru, being held from 5-8th October.