The final day of the Junior European Judo Championships 2025 in Bratislava saw Team Slovakia make their long-awaited debut in the mixed team competition, securing a historic 7th-place finish on home soil. Their opening contest came against neighbouring Hungary, ending in a tie that required a deciding rematch. The +70kg category was redrawn, leaving Nina Filkorová (SVK) to face Huszár Regina (HUN) once more. Just as in their earlier bout, Filkorová held her nerve in golden score, sealing victory for Slovakia and sending the home team into the quarter-finals.
There, Slovakia faced Türkiye, a squad brimming with depth and talent. The Turkish team proved too strong, sweeping the match 4–0. Entering the repechage, the Slovakians then met Azerbaijan, who displayed similar dominance, resulting in a 7th-place finish for the hosts.
Following the team’s campaign, Mr Jozef Tomanek, Vice President of the Slovak Judo Federation and one of the coaches in the chair during the week, reflected on the milestone achievement and the lessons learned.
“I feel very good, but very tired,” Mr Tomanek admitted when asked how he felt at the close of the tournament. “It was a very big event for the Slovak Republic, the Junior Europeans, the biggest European event of the year as a host, we are very happy.”
While the team narrowly missed out on medals, Tomanek emphasised the progress made.
“Of course the goal is always a medal, but seventh place is a very good result for us. It shows that Slovak judoka and Slovak performances are growing. This is important news for us, for Europe, and for the Slovak Judo Federation.”
The week also brought valuable individual results, including a fifth-place finish and two other top-seven performances. Although some athletes struggled under pressure, Tomanek highlighted the importance of experience at this level.
“Perhaps the pressure was very big, and some of our judoka could not show their best but this is a very good experience. All week was important because we are focusing on the Olympic Games. Our judoka will continue to grow.”
Balancing his dual role as both coach and leader of the organising team, Tomanek acknowledged the challenge:
“It is not easy to combine coaching and organisation. This was very hard, and that is my lesson. Maybe in the future I will change something but it has been very good for me and very good for the future.”
Future plans include keeping Slovakia firmly on the European judo map.
“We are already speaking with the European Judo Union about future events. Perhaps one day we will host the European Senior Championships but for now, our calendar continues with the OTC in Šamorín this September, then the Cadet European Cup next February. Maybe later also Junior Cups, more and more events.”
On the competitive side, Tomanek confirmed the immediate focus. “Now, 100% of our focus is on the Junior World Championships in Lima. With the OTC in Samorin before, it is very good timing. At the Worlds, I will only be coach only, that is the best.”
Finally, Tomanek expressed gratitude to all involved:
“Thank you very much to everyone, for the organisation, for the European Judo Union, for all the people who were here. This was an amazing week for us, and I hope Slovak judo will continue to grow, with more young people joining in the future.”
Author: Szandra Szogedi