Estonia are growing their base, and with the addition of Emma-Melis AKTAS in the +78kg category, they now have a leading woman and man. Or now, two men.
Klen Kristofer KALJULAID placed fifth in the Senior World Championships last month, an incredible result in the -90kg category. However he will be feeling the effect of the number five, having just missed out on a medal in both the Tokyo and Paris Grand Slam. Despite missing out, these are his career bests and it is a steady upward trajectory. He will of course be looking to continue his medal collection at home in Estonia, after taking gold in 2023.
The second man who will attracted attention as of recent is Marek-Adrian MASAK of the +100kg category, who won the Cadet European Championships in 2024, followed up by a Cadet World silver, a bronze at U23 European level and continued to impress on the IJF World Judo Tour, finishing fifth in the OTP Group Tashkent Grand Slam in February. Since then he moved to the junior events where he has been cleaning up, but of course now wants a medal on home turf. He isn’t the only one either, Karl PRIILINN TURK (EST) finished in second place last year, and has the hunger for another final.
However the pair will need to battle the likes of top seed, Emirkhan ZHOLDOSHKAZIEV (KGZ) , the 19 year-old won the Asian Junior Championships and placed third at senior level which is certainly no easy feat, sharing the podium with 2024 World Champion and Olympic silver medallist, KIM Minjong, Olympic and World bronze medallist, Temur RAKHIMOV (TJK) and rising star of the Republic of Korea, LEE Seungyeob.
As per the women’s categories, the -57kg line up is fierce. Bianca REIS (BRA) has gradually made a name for herself on the international circuit, claiming world medals at both cadet and junior level, but in her continent, has now stepped up to the plate as a senior, claiming a championship bronze in April.
Reis heads the category ahead of Acelya TOPRAK (GBR) who has recently come back to her former nation after a stint with Azerbaijan. In the top eight, there is a no sure way to predict the order of medals, however we can be assured of strong performances from the likes of Austria’s Laura KALLINGER, who already claimed a continental open medal this year in La Nucia. Winning that event was Chloe DEVICTOR (FRA) who has demonstrated consistency, though the move to -57kg wasn’t so easy, but this year she looks more at home in the category, and the gold medals in the Gori Senior European Cup and Spain certainly mirror that.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen