Concluding the European Youth Olympic Festival 2025 were the teams of Germany and Serbia, deciding who would become the next EYOF Mixed Team Champions. All of the athletes had been spectacular throughout the day, and with both teams containing gold medallists from earlier in the week, it could really have gone either way.
Fighting out of his skin in a weight class above his own -73kg, Veljko VARNICIC (SRB) has not ceded a loss in 15 contests, and what a performance he has delivered throughout this event. On this occasion, it was Konstantin DISTEL (GER), bronze earlier in the week at -81kg who suffered the loss, a mere yuko score from o uchi gari decided this win, the first on the board for Serbia.
It feels very good, especially because I fought in the -81kg category and usually I’m -73kg, it felt really hard so I’m glad that we fought well and now we are the first place.
Senior European bronze medallist at -63kg, Aleksandra ANDRIC (SRB) has felt the pressure this week to perform in the cadets when she hasn’t fought these young women in over a year, but she thrived and took the individual medal, but today fighting at +63kg proved challenging. A huge o soto gari gave her the first yuko score, but Elina DILGER (GER) evened the playing field with tani o toshi. The joy didn’t last long though as Andric secured the osae komi for win number two.
Yay! It feels so good! Earlier in the day I had an -70kg, so my category, but after that they were heavier than me and I was a little worried, in case I might get an injury but I was able to take care.
Momentum was flowing in Serbia’s favour as Nemanja SIMIC (SRB) stepped on next in the +81kg against Samuel BISCHOFF (GER), in the first minute he managed the waza ari score before winning the contest with shime waza.
One more point for Serbia could take the gold medal but it was a big mountain to climb against Emily Chiara PLICH (GER) for Mara RASIC (SRB) at -48kg. Initially, Rasic was countered with o soto gari, but it wasn’t over for her, instead Rasic followed her opponent to the ground and persisted until she found the shime waza win and gave Serbia the 4-0 clean sweep!
Coach, Djordje TOMIC was overjoyed for him team and all the hard work they put in, exceeding expectations and delivering the ultimate gift to Team Serbia,
I feel amazing, what is there to say?! We came here with big expectations, I thought at the start we had a good chance to get some medals, but to take this gold medal in such a dominant, fierce way, I cannot believe what happened! I don’t know how we managed to be so focussed, without mistakes, we pulled together, not 100%, we gave 1000% of ourselves.
Mara Rasic was the girl. She is a tall girl so for -48kg sometimes it can be hard for her, but she recovered over the last few days, she has great energy, I knew she could do so much more than she showed on her individual day but today, she was simply brilliant, I am so happy she could show her best side. I think in the future she will be really great at -52kg, maybe -57kg.
Though Julius GLASER (GER), Jolina REINHOLD (GER), Nikola RADANOV (SRB) and Nina ANDRIC (SRB) missed out on their contest in the final, each athlete was instrumental in brining their respective teams to the final. A huge congratulations is in order for Team Germany for their silver medal in the EYOF Mixed Team event.
There was a worrying moment for the team earlier in the event when medical intervention was required for Nikola OBRADOVIC (-81kg) however he was back in the arena today and they insisted he stood on the podium together as a team. Best friend, Varnicic explained this was very important to him,
This made me very very happy, he didn’t want to because he didn’t deserve it, but he deserved it the most, he had the real fight this week. Honestly, for us, our biggest happiness is because of him.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen