Joanne van Lieshout of the Netherlands did not waste any time on her way to her first European title
at the European Senior Championships Tbilisi 2026 on Friday (17 April): The 23-year-old Dutchwoman secured victory within the first minute of the -63kg final over Manon Deketer of France.
Van Lieshout surprised herself with her quick win. “I think she [Dekter] made a little mistake, and
then I immediately could answer in the ne-waza. It was really nice, and I’m very happy that it went so
fast.”
The gold medal was the reward for a strong all-day showing by the 2024 World Champion.
“It feels amazing. Today I felt really good, and all the matches went very well,” she commented.
This title is important for van Lieshout and adds a lot of motivation, especially since the next
European Senior Championships will be held in her home country.
Next year the Europeans are in the Netherlands, so I think there’s no better place than trying to
defend my title in Apeldoorn,” she said.
Van Lieshout can’t wait for this opportunity to shine again in front of a home crowd next April.
Judoka
Author: Tatjana Flade