Europe added another junior world championships title to its tally on the second day of action in Lima. This gold medal carried enormous weight and prestige, as it marked Switzerland’s first-ever junior world title, won by April Lynn Fohouo in the -70kg category.
The Swiss judoka fought her way through four contests to reach glory. In the round of 16, her opening bout, she faced Japan’s Rin Maeda. Taking on an unseeded Japanese opponent is always unpredictable, yet Fohouo found the answer, throwing for victory with uchi-mata in golden score.
In the quarter-final, she met Ingrid Nilsson (SWE). After more than seven minutes of exchanges, Fohouo broke through with a hiza-guruma, sealing her place in the semi-final.
The semi-final brought a familiar face, a rematch of the 2025 junior European final against Ecem Baysug (TUR). While that previous encounter might have left some scars, this time Fohouo turned the tables. Within two minutes of contest time, she scored a yuko which she held on to secure her spot in the final.
Awaiting her was Aleksandra Andrić (SRB). Despite the Serbian’s strong efforts, she couldn’t overcome the Swiss powerhouse. Fohouo once again showcased her superb ashi-waza to clinch a historic victory, a moment of pride both for herself and for Switzerland.
Europe dominated the -70kg category, with Teophila Darbes-Takam (FRA) and Jana Cvjetko (CRO) taking bronze. In the -63kg category, Savita Russo (ITA) claimed bronze while Viktoriia Martynenko (IJF) secured silver. The -73kg division saw Irakli Goginashvili (GBR) stand as Europe’s sole medallist with a hard-earned bronze. Finally, the -81kg category added two more medals to Europe’s haul, a silver from Akhmed Turluev (IJF) and a bronze from Mihajlo Simin (SRB).
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Images: IJF / Gabriela Sabau
Author: Szandra Szogedi