The opening day of the Junior European Judo Championships 2025 in Bratislava brought the -48kg category centre stage, where 24 judoka stepped onto the tatami with dreams of continental glory. The division was loaded with surprises, shocks, and fierce contests that kept the crowd on edge.
Early drama struck when Anastasiia Barabash (IJF) ousted top seed Morgane Annis (FRA) in round two, shaking up the draw. Though she missed out on the final, Barabash bounced back to take bronze after an assured win over Wiktoria Slazok (POL). The second bronze medal clash saw Turkey’s Zilan Ertem go head-to-head with Italy’s Sofia Mazzola, both seeded within the top eight. After a long golden score battle, it was Mazzola who triumphed, Ertem undone by three penalties.
The final was a gripping showdown between Germany’s Helen Habib and Spain’s Aitana Díaz Hernández. Habib piled on the pressure with relentless seoi-nage attacks, forcing Díaz Hernández to accumulate two shidos. In the dying seconds of regular time, Habib came agonisingly close to securing an osae-komi, but the clock saved the Spaniard. With the contest locked, the fight moved to golden score.
This was where Díaz Hernández dug deepest. Twice she came close to finishing in ne-waza, showing patience and precision on the ground. At 3:30 into golden score, her persistence finally paid off. With a controlled hold-down, she secured the victory and crowned herself Junior European Champion of 2025.
Díaz Hernández expressed her feelings after her final, hard-fought victory:
“I had expectations, but I wasn’t sure at all because of my knee injury. I didn’t know how my body would react, but I still felt strong. The difficult part was that in the quarter-final I hurt my elbow, and in the semi-final and final I really had to survive through the pain. In the end, I achieved a great result, and I’m very happy, not just with the medal but with myself, because I kept believing in me.”
“Just a month ago, I was in hospital with a knee infection and needed antibiotics through my veins. That’s why today feels so special. My mentality is always that I am the best, I have to believe that, otherwise what’s the point? My coach, Sugoi Uriarte, told me before I came here, ‘If you can dream, you can achieve it.’ That was my mindset throughout the competition.”
“I know these were not my best fights, especially the semi-final and final, but I trusted my ne-waza. My mentality was to take every chance to finish on the ground because that is my strongest area. I am very happy and proud, not only of myself but of my team and my coaches. Without them, none of this would have been possible.”
Coach, former junior European bronze medallist and Olympian, Laura Gómez, also shared her thoughts:
“I feel amazing, because even though she injured herself in the quarter-finals, she’s a monster, she always fights. She’s such a strong judoka, incredible, never gives up. Watching from the chair is actually harder than competing. When you’re a fighter, yes, you’re nervous, but once you step on the tatami, it all goes away. As a coach, you’re stressed 24/7. Much easier to be an athlete than a coach!” – she laughed before continuing.
“Honestly, for me the target today wasn’t even the medal. I just wanted her to feel comfortable again on the international stage, especially after such a tough year with injuries. Even without a podium, seeing her fight bravely would have been enough. But she went far beyond that, she won. Brilliant result, and she looked so strong out there.”
Author: Szandra Szogedi