The opening day of the Gori Senior European Cup 2026 came to an exciting conclusion, with medals decided across six weight categories. The men’s -60 kg, -66 kg and -73 kg divisions crowned their winners, alongside the women’s -63 kg, -70 kg and +78 kg categories.
After day one, hosts Georgia sit proudly at the top of the medal table with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Azerbaijan follow closely behind with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals, while Great Britain currently hold third place with one gold and one silver medal. Victories were also secured by athletes from the Russian Federation, Switzerland and Slovenia.
Two of the men’s categories produced all-national finals. Azerbaijan dominated the -66 kg division with both finalists flying their national flag, while the -73 kg category delivered an electric all-Georgian showdown for the home supporters.
The standout name for the host nation was undoubtedly Bagrat Niniashvili. The Georgian judoka captured gold in the -73 kg category, sending the local crowd into celebration inside the Gori Sports Palace. Speaking after his victory, Niniashvili reflected on the hard road back to success:
“I prepared for this competition in Tbilisi and had a very strong training period, and the result speaks for itself, I became champion. Unfortunately, I went through several injuries. First, I had surgery on my hand, then on my leg, so I was not in optimal condition, but I am satisfied with my performance.”
Asked to assess his contests throughout the day, the newly crowned champion admitted the final carried a special atmosphere:
“I came through the first four contests relatively comfortably. In the final, I faced another Georgian, so we had an all-Georgian final in the -73 kg category. Tornike is my friend, and I would also like to congratulate him on his medal.”
The Gori Senior European Cup marks yet another major international event hosted in Georgia this year, underlining the country’s growing importance on the European judo calendar. For Niniashvili, competing at home brings a unique energy:
“It is incredibly important both for the country and for the athletes to host competitions of this level on home soil. I would like to thank the organisers for this opportunity. Competing in front of our own supporters gives us completely different motivation.”
Day two is still to come, with medals yet to be decided in the remaining weight categories: men’s -81 kg, -90 kg, -100 kg and +100 kg, alongside women’s -48 kg, -52 kg and -57 kg. Follow all the action live on JudoTV.
Medallists – Day One
Men:
-60 kg:
1.Damir MEREMOV (RUS)
2.Giorgi JOJISHVILI (GEO)
3.Kantemir ARIPSHEV (RUS)
3.Babarahim MIRZAYEV (AZE)
-66 kg
1.Islam RAHIMOV (AZE)
2.Elshan ASADOV
3.Kanat SEILKHAN (KAZ)
3.Nizami IMRANOV (AZE)
-73 kg
1.Bagrati NINIASHVILI (GE0)
2.Tornike MOSIASHVILI (GEO)
3.Rufat SHOVLATOV (AZE)
3.Aleko KASRADZE (GEO)
Women:
-63 kg
1.Chiara FRIDEN (SUI)
2.Sunny DOIG (GBR)
3.Galini SIRINIDOU (GRE)
3.Franziska SCHLOEGL (AUT)
-70 kg
1.Jevgenija GAJIC (SLO)
2.Sofia XANTHOPOULOU (GRE)
3.Lizi KVARTSKHAVA (GEO)
3.Dana KIRICHENKO (RUS)
+78 kg
1.Chloe NUNN (GBR)
2.Tolkyn TURSYNAKYNOVA (KAZ)
3.Karina TAKIYEVA (KAZ)
Author: Keti Bachvelashvili / Images: Mariam Gagnidze
Author: EJU Media