Day five of the European Youth Olympic Festival 2025 saw 22 Mixed Teams come together to face off for the ultimate EYOF title.
GERMANY VS POLAND
In the first round, the -63kg women went head to head, for Germany, EYOF champion, Jolina REINHOLD and for Poland, Martyna NAROZNOWSKA. Reinhold still had that motivation from her win earlier in the week and was Germany’s first point, scoring with a driving ashi guruma, and finishing to contests with osaekomi. Following Reinhold’s lead was Konstantin DISTEL, scoring waza ari with drop seoi nage and doubling up his big score with a ko uchi gake.
Nikola ZAREBA brought one point back for Poland, scoring yuko with o uchi gari in the opening exchange, and again she secured another yuko with a similar attack, but changing direction slightly. though Elina DILGER scored yuko of her own, a waza ari was scored by Zareba soon after with o uchi gari, finishing the contest in ne waza.
Next up, Dawid KAMINSKI kept the ball rolling, countering Samuel BISCHOFF ko uchi gari attempt, scoring ippon and leaving a 2:2 score on the board. The first of the golden score contests came for Emily Chiara PLICH (GER) and Nina PODYMSKA (POL). The latter ceded two shidos and a third one after two extra minutes, 3:2 to Germany.
Only one more win was needed, and Julius GLASER was the one to deliver. A blinding drop morote seoi nage was the deciding factor and huge celebrations for Team Germany! This sent Team Poland to the bronze medal contest against Ukraine who defeated Austria in the repechage.
SERBIA VS GEORGIA
Nina ANDRIC was first to put a score on the board for Team Serbia, defeating Nana GULBIANI (GEO), pulling the current Cadet European Champion on to her hip in an o goshi attempt, but adjusted to a soto makikomi to drive her opponent to her back.
The current Cadet European and EYOF Champion, Veljko VARNICIC continued his winning streak against Giorgi MUMLADZE (GEO) with a shime waza win. Another EYOF gold medallist, Aleksandra ANDRIC continued on her sisters success, adding a third point to her teams tally against Barbare GELASHVILI (GEO), working her way in ne waza to secure the hold down and watched as the clock ticked down.
It was Ioane ABALAKI who stopped a clean sweep, defeating Serbia’s Petar NOVAKOVIC, first scoring with soto makikimo for yuko, doubling up with an uchi mata technique before transitioning in to ne waza for Georgia’s first win. Unfortunately it would be their only win as Mara RASIC sealed the fate of Team Serbia, sending them in to the final with a single yuko score that Mariam TSURTSUMIA was unable to bring back.
Georgia are still in with a chance of a medal of course as they go head to head with France who took the repechage win against Israel.
Author: Thea Cowen