In Tbilisi there is a special spirit that accompanies the Georgian athletes into competition, a kind of fuel that drives them to find an extra gear; spectators, home soil, family, all the ingredients that combine to create an unrivalled atmosphere. This is on show at the 2026 European Championships, in full Technicolor.
As the second day of the championships unfolded, it was clear that the support added motivation rather than pressure, delivering extra energy to the judoka. Eteri Liparteliani, Georgia’s first ever female world champion, had a great deal of pressure on her shoulders, entering as the number one seed, but she lived up to expectations to pass all challengers on the way to the final.
In the final, under the spirited cheers of the crowd, Liparteliani met Timna Nelson-Levy (ISR). All predictions hung the medal around Liparteliani’s neck way in advance of the contest but in judo it is necessary to be a little bit patient. Anything can happen Nelson Levy was totally aware of that and when attacked with a barrage of ashi-waza and then a clinch, she countered for the first yuko of the contest.
That single yuko remained alone on the scoreboard for a 3 full minutes, but with 20 seconds left to change the fate of both athletes, Liparteliani found new strength and launched a massive sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi and flattened Nelson-Levy. Her spirit was not dampened for a single second of the final and she believed until the very end that she could do it, and she did!
Her spirit was not dampened for a single second of the final and she believed until the very end that she could do it, and she did!
In the first bronze medal contest Binta Ndiaye (SUI) faced Great Britain’s Acelya Toprak, the athlete who eliminated double Olympic medallist Sarah-Leonie Cysqiue from the path to gold before she lost her own semi-final. Toprak came out just as fiery against Ndiaye and countered for the first score of the match. Ndiaye’s response was to work hard in ne-waza, finding an equalising yuko from a hard-won hold.
Following Toprak’s escape on the ground the contest went into golden score and there Ndiaye really found her rhythm, throwing for ippon with a reverse seoi-otoshi. The bronze medal was heading to Switzerland.
In the second bronze medal contest 4-time European medallist Cysique faced 2023 European silver medallist Marica Perisic (SRB) who opened the contest by scoring a yuko with ko-uchi-gari. A unfazed Cysique came forward more and countered two of Perisic’s attacks to earn a clear waza-ari-awasete call from the referee. Her 5th European medal was now banked!
Author: Jo Crowley