Author: Dino Stambolić
The second and final day of competition at the Junior European Judo Cup in Sarajevo delivered another programme of thrilling and hard-fought contests as the event came to a close in the Bosnian capital.
Three gold medals went to Russian athletes, who triumphed in the women’s -48kg category and the men’s -81kg and +100kg divisions. However, the fourth final featuring a Russian competitor was claimed by Serbia’s Boris Rutovic, the 2023 cadet world champion.
“The competition was extremely strong. There were three Russians in my category and I faced all of them on the way to gold, which makes this victory even more special. They are strong and very good judoka, it is never easy against them.” said Rutovic.
Serbia celebrated another success through Bojana Savic, who secured her nation’s second gold medal of the day. The junior European Championship bronze medallist defeated Germany’s Klara Etern in the -48kg final. “The competition was extremely tough, especially the semi-final. For me, this is a very good start to the year and I hope it will lead to more medals at major events,” Savic shared.
Mateusz Wacko (-100kg) claimed one of Poland’s two gold medals at the event, while Emilia Bielawska (-57kg) added the second. “After four bronze medals at junior European Cups last year, I couldn’t have asked for a better start. The opponents were extremely strong and motivated, which makes this gold even more meaningful,” said Wacko.
Following day one gold and bronze in the -78kg category, the host nation added another podium finish on day two, with Rino Vrljic earning bronze in the +100kg division. Alongside the high organisational standards, the result brought further satisfaction to the National Judo Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Attention now turns to the EJU Junior Training Camp, which begins tomorrow in Sarajevo and runs until 11 February.
View the full gallery of the event via the following link: Junior European Cup Sarajevo 2026 – European Judo Union
Author: EJU Media