A vibrant opening day [25 April] at the Sportforum Berlin set the tone for an absorbing edition of the cadet European Cup, with eight titles decided across the lighter weight categories. Gold medals were shared between Azerbaijan, France, Israel, the Republic of Moldova, Türkiye and Uzbekistan, while the host nation, Germany, narrowly missed out on the podium, recording one fifth-place and two seventh-place finishes.
In the U18 women’s event, the lighter divisions delivered both technical precision and composure under pressure. France’s Jade Barray (-40 kg) announced herself emphatically, claiming her first European Cup medal in style. Having exited in the opening round in Berlin a year ago, the 15-year-old returned with maturity well beyond her age. Drawn immediately against top seed Dominika Gracova, she rose to the challenge with confidence before progressing steadily to the final. There, against Azerbaijan’s Sunay Salamova, Barray showcased her ne-waza strength, repeatedly threatening on the ground before sealing victory in golden score with a decisive strangle.
Türkiye’s Yagmur Yilmazturk (-44 kg) continued her remarkable run of form, securing a third consecutive European Cup title. Entering the final as the slight favourite, she was pushed throughout by Italy’s Sofia Longo, who forced extended groundwork exchanges and drew the contest into golden score. It was Yilmazturk who found the breakthrough, executing a clean kata-guruma for waza-ari after just 38 seconds of extra time, reinforcing her status as a leading contender ahead of the European Cadet Championships.
Uzbekistan’s Charos Hikmatova (-48 kg) controlled her final from the outset, wasting little time in asserting dominance. A sharp harai-goshi inside the opening minute secured an early advantage, which she managed with authority through to the final seconds, marking her second European Cup triumph of the season.
In the -52 kg category, Moldova’s Alexandra Chiron added gold to her previous bronze medal from Berlin 2025. Facing Serbia’s Teodora Vukasovic, Chiron demonstrated resilience, absorbing early pressure in the standing exchanges before relying on her groundwork strengths. The decisive moment arrived in the closing seconds, as she countered Vukasovic’s attack with ura-nage to score waza-ari and secure the title.
Among the standout performers of the day, Yagmur Yilmazturk’s progression continues to impress. Already victorious in Teplice and Ganja earlier this year, she arrived in Berlin determined to build momentum. Her victory not only elevates her to third in the world rankings but also positions her firmly among the favourites for the upcoming European Championships. Despite her growing experience, she remains candid about the mental challenge of competition, admitting that the opening contest of the day remains the most testing. Her journey in 2026 has not been without setbacks, including early defeats in Antalya when stepping up a category, yet those experiences have clearly sharpened her resolve. With a European silver medal already to her name, she now looks ahead with ambition, driven by the prospect of hearing her national anthem on the continental stage once more.
The men’s competition mirrored the intensity seen in the women’s divisions, with four champions crowned across the lighter weights. Azerbaijan’s Nihad Aghayev (-50 kg) delivered one of the fastest victories of the day, requiring just 33 seconds to secure the title against Uzbekistan’s Mamurjon Abduvakhobov, who initiated aggressively but was ultimately caught in the exchange.
In the -55 kg category, an all-Azerbaijani final saw Farid Khudiyev edge past Ibrahim Talibov in a tactical contest defined by grip fighting and patience. Khudiyev’s persistence paid off in the closing minute, as he executed a seoi-nage for the decisive score.
Uzbekistan’s Abubakr Sattorov (-60 kg) avenged a previous defeat to compatriot Davlatbek Akhrorov in their Berlin encounter. In a dynamic contest, Sattorov capitalised mid-fight, transitioning into tate-shiho-gatame for ippon and levelling their head-to-head record.
Israel’s Itamar Cohen (-66 kg) completed the day’s roll of honour, overcoming Bulgaria’s Vladimir Todorov in a closely fought final. After a balanced contest, Cohen found the winning action in golden score, driving through with o-uchi-gari to secure his first European Cup gold medal. For the 17-year-old, it marked a significant milestone, following a steady progression through near-podium finishes in 2025 and a bronze earlier this season in Poreč. Competing as the top seed did little to alter his approach; instead, he delivered a composed and determined performance across six demanding contests, culminating in what he described as the finest day of his career. With this breakthrough victory, Cohen now sets his sights firmly on continental and world titles, signalling the emergence of a judoka ready to contend at the highest level.
Attention now turns to the heavier weight categories, which will be contested on the second day in Berlin. With momentum building and the standard already set, anticipation remains high as the competition continues. Live coverage is available via JudoTV, where the remaining champions of this European Cup will be decided.
Check out the full gallery of the event here.
Author: Iljana Marzok
Author: EJU Media