The women’s +78kg final was a French affair, Celia Cancan versus her training partner, Leonie Minkada-Caquineau. Just like last year, it was Cancan who stood tall, defending her Junior European crown and proving once again that gold belongs around her neck.
At 19, Cancan already looked like the senior in the matchup against her 17-year-old teammate. Both knew each other inside out from countless sessions on the INSEP tatami, which meant the final turned into a chess match rather than a throwing showcase. The opening minutes brought no score, just flickers of ashi-waza and teasing foot sweeps. Slowly, Cancan’s tactical plan took shape.
The referees got involved first: Minkada-Caquineau picked up an early shido for passivity, then another as the contest dragged into the third minute. Cancan herself collected one too, but with her patience and composure, she forced her rival into a corner. In the closing minute, the third penalty against Minkada-Caquineau sealed the result. A handshake, a nod, and Cancan was champion again, not the most spectacular of finals, but pure tactical mastery.
For Cancan, it was the third successful title defense of the day across categories. As top seed, she had breezed through her earlier rounds, even dispatching Estonia’s Emma Aktas, fresh from a fifth place at the senior World Championships in Budapest. Confidence has been building all year, she already struck senior gold at the Grand Prix in Linz, and now she’s matching the path of her idols Romane Dicko, Léa Fontaine, and Julia Tolofua. One tradition remains: after the medal ceremony, her first call is to her mother.
Celia Cancan:
“I’m proud of myself. I worked hard in preparation and throughout the day, and now I did it. Maybe again next year! Leonie is younger, 17, and we know each other so well from training in Paris. Of course I wanted to win with ippon, but when the first shido came, I knew it would be a tactical fight.
“Compared to last year, I felt less pressure because I know the other judoka better now. Still, after some strong results with the seniors, I wanted to prove myself again. I’ll stay in this category, +78kg.“
Next? “The Junior Worlds in Lima and then the French Championships in November, which are crucial for my path toward the big senior tournaments, including Paris Grand Slam.“
She shares further, “I am from Toulon, but for the last two years I’ve been based in Paris to train. It was a big move, but necessary. And this title? That’s for my mother. She called me right after the fight, but I couldn’t pick up, I’ll call her back as soon as I can.”
In the bronze medal contests, Emma-Melis Aktas took revenge for her lost semi-final and secured Estonia’s second bronze of the day, throwing Roxana Visa (ROU) for ippon midway through the match. Meanwhile, Israeli powerhouse Yuli Alma Mishiner claimed the other bronze, defeating Slovakia’s Nina Filkorova. For Mishiner, it marked a remarkable third consecutive Junior European bronze since 2023. Not the gold she dreams of, but still a valuable medal.
France, however, continues to reign supreme in the women’s heavyweight division, capturing seven of the last ten titles at the Junior European Championships.
Author: EJU Media