To close out the 2026 European Championships in Tbilisi, it is fitting that a Georgian superstar is fighting for gold. Guram Tushishvili has been world champion, has an Olympic medal and has already appeared in 3 European finals. Georgia loves him and on day 4 in the Georgian capital, he has the chance to play the anthem for a vibrant and committed public.
The final would not be a cake walk though! Czechia’s hero Lukas Krpalek, one of a tiny, elite group pf judoka to have claimed Olympic gold in two weight categories, had arrived out of sync with his opposition but he found his rhythm during a long and difficult first contest against Losseni Kone (GER) and only got stronger from there.
In the final, two legends of judo marched into the Olympic Palace, the crowd at fever pitch. Countless world, Olympic and European medals between them, they were ready to deliver an epic finale to an incredible championship.
Standing toe-to-toe, they gripped up knowing that any error could cost them dearly. They neutralised each other’s position repeatedly until Tushishvili forced his arm over Krpalek’s shoulder and down to his belt. He applied a massive tsuri-goshi. His reward? A waza-ari was given and the fight continued with the Czech hero coming forward more and more. His tomoe-nage was in play but not with enough power to topple Tushishvili.
As the time ticked down and the Georgian began to take penalties, his lead looked to be at risk, but he was not ready to make that mistake and held his ground to the gong. This is his ninth continental medal, including his junior title back in 2015.
To fight for the first bronze medal, Valerii Endovitskii (RUS) and Darius Dobre (ROU) strode into the arena. Endovitskii dominated the kumi-kata from the outside and looked ready to throw at any moment. He played with the distance and moved perfectly, ensuring every exchange was his. Dobre had his work cut out but just couldn’t keep up and so the penalties began to arrive. With 30 seconds remaining, the third and final shido was given and Endovitskii could make his way to the podium. This is his 3rd European medal from the last 4 years.
For the last medal on the last podium of the last day of competition, Ibrahim Tataroglu and Gzegorz Teresinski (POL) arrived on the tatami of the Olympic Palace. The Polish judoka made the first few attacks but Tataroglu was simply biding his time. When the right attack came, he countered for a waza-ari score and transitioned perfectly into the hold to convert it to the maximum ippon.
And just like that, the European Championships is over for another year. Host nation Georgia topped the medal table with 4 golds, ahead of France, Russia, Italy and Israel.
Next year, the continental championships will be held in the Netherlands and we can’t wait to see you there.
Author: Jo Crowley