A little over a week ago, Dutch judoka Pauline Sweers stood proudly on the top step of the podium, a gold medal around her neck and a broad smile on her face. For the newly crowned U23 European Champion, this was more than just a victory, it was the realisation of a year’s worth of relentless work and quiet belief.
“It felt fantastic,” Sweers said reflecting back on her triumph. “This was what I had been working toward all year, and it was amazing that everything came together at such a beautiful tournament.”
Sweers’ name had been on the European radar for several seasons. Two years earlier, she captured the a junior European title, a moment that hinted at what was to come but, as she quickly learned, progress in judo is rarely a straight line.
“After that junior title, I competed twice more at this championship,” she recalled. “I lost to very strong opponents, but this time everything clicked and I became champion.”
This gold was not a surprise but a culmination, a marker of her transition from promising junior to fully fledged senior contender, the kind of evolution that defines long-term success in international judo.
Throughout her young career, Sweers had shown an ability to learn quickly. One name that had continually pushed her forward was that of French judoka Mienandi Lahou, a regular rival and benchmark in her age category.
“It was funny, because this time [U23 Europeans 2025] I didn’t face her,” she smiled. “I wasn’t sure if I should be happy about that, because I was really ready for a rematch. Every time I fought her, I grew. The first time I was thrown quickly; the second time I lasted three minutes before scoring. I really wanted to take that next step but I beat the athlete who beat her, so that felt pretty good too.”
That kind of maturity recognising progress even when circumstances change spoke volumes about Sweers’s mindset. Her victory was as much about mental discipline as it was about technical precision. In a sport where mental control often determines the outcome, that composure may well have been the key to gold. Even as the celebrations faded, Sweers’s focus was already turning to what came next.
“I definitely celebrated this one,” she laughed. “But I also took a bit of rest and started training again. This weekend I will compete at the Grand Prix in Zagreb, and in December I will take part in the Dutch National Championships and the National Liga with my team.”
For Pauline Sweers, the U23 European title was another checkpoint on a carefully built path. Her ability to stay grounded, to learn, and to fight smartly marks her as one of the Netherlands’ brightest young hopes and a name to watch closely in the years to come.
Author: Hans Van Essen