What do Alice BELLANDI, NAGAYAMA Ryuju and Matvey KANIKOVSKIY have in common besides their newly won world titles from Budapest?
All three once made their mark as juniors in Berlin. Most recently, it was Kanikovskiy who stood atop the podium at the Berlin Junior European Cup in 2019. Over the years, Berlin has been a stage for many up-and-coming talents and future Olympic champions. Alongside strong European competitors, judoka from Pan America and Asia took part regularly.
This weekend the Berlin Junior European Cup 2025 will welcome 544 judokas from 34 countries. In addition to host nation Germany the largest delegations are coming from neighboring countries France, the Netherlands and Poland. The event will also feature powerhouse teams from Azerbaijan, Brazil and Georgia. Brazil is sending more than a handful of gold medalists from this year‘s Pan American-Oceania Championships in Lima. They’ll be eager to test themselves against a stacked European field featuring former and current medalists from the Cadet and Junior European and World Championships.
Some judoka already know what it feels like to stand on the podium in Berlin:
Top seed Suleyman SHUKUROV (AZE) returns as the reigning Junior European Champion and Junior World bronze medalist in the -81 kg category. Last year, he narrowly missed the title. This time, he’s aiming to go one better.
Local favorite Tabea Nika MECKLENBURG (GER) will defend her 2024 title in the -52 kg category. After winning gold at the Junior European Cups in Sarajevo and Poznań and reaching the final in Graz, she’s once again in strong form in 2025. As the number two seed, she is clearly among the top contenders in her weight class.
Germany also has other promising talents in the field including Sara-JOY BAUER and Mathilda Sophie NIEMEYER. Neither reached the podium last year, but both have shown impressive result. Bauer is the current Junior European Champion in the -63 kg category. Niemeyer competes in one of the toughest women’s divisions this weekend. She is a Junior World silver medalist, yet not the top seed this time in her category -78 kg. Among her strongest rivals are two reigning continental champions with Dandara CAMILO (BRA) and Lila MAZZARINO (FRA). Also in the mix is Zuzanna BANASZEWSKA (POL), who might be unseeded, but is far from an underdog. A former Cadet European and World Champion in the +70 kg category, she knows exactly what it takes to win in Berlin.
It’s shaping up to be a thrilling weekend in Berlin, full of talent and future champions. Let’s see who will take the next big step on the road to the top.
Author: Iljana Marzok
Author: EJU Media