Among the many huge names to be found in the draw for the 2026 European Championships, on day one it is Shrine Boukli (FRA) who arrives with the most gold medals in hand. Four European titles, all recent, all spectacular, illustrate a career that exudes humility but never at the expense of excellence or realism.
At 27 years old, Boukli has competed at the senior Europeans just 4 times but on each occasion she climbed on to the top step of the podium, an exquisite statistic that demonstrates her ability to win on the most important days. An Olympic medal and two world medals back up this assertion.
In Tbilisi, Boukli’s royal status is not in doubt; it is up to the rest to shake her crown from her head. In 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025 no-one came close. In 2026 she is aiming to do it again!
A bespoke programme of preparation, a collaboration between the French national team and her club, Flam 91, with personal coach Kilian Le Blouch, has proven to be fruitful on the highest level stages of world and European judo. On the first day of competition in the Georgian capital she will test her work yet again and her team will be right behind her. Can she claim a fifth European title? The statistics are in her favour.
Author: Jo Crowley