The opening day of the European Judo Open Ljubljana 2026 was always going to be special. The Stožice Arena was full, the atmosphere electric, the home crowd ready to celebrate world-class judo. Yet, no one quite anticipated that the most powerful moment would come before a single final had even begun.
When Andreja Leski, Paris 2024 Olympic champion in the -63kg category, stepped near the microphone during the Opening Ceremony, there was a shift in the air. This was not the usual confident walk of a competitor preparing for battle. This was something deeper.
She bowed…, and then she spoke.
“Hello, let everything be an example, let it be an example. This was the hardest but at the same time the most beautiful bow of my judo career.”
In that moment, the arena fell silent.
Leski announced what many had perhaps sensed but never truly expected. She was ending her competitive career here, at home, on Slovenian soil.
“I am ending my competitive career.” she paused.
“Judo taught me to stand when it is hardest and to step away when the time comes,” she said, her voice steady, her posture composed like an athlete who had mastered not only her opponents but herself. For years, she had embodied Slovenian excellence. From early promise to Olympic glory in Paris 2024, she had stood as a symbol of precision, resilience and belief. Yet her speech was not about medals. It was not about statistics or triumph.
“Judo did not drive me only towards victories,” she explained. “It taught me about life, adaptation, perseverance and struggle.”
© Erika Zucchiatti
She spoke of fighting for herself, for the team, for justice and equality and then she revealed something profoundly personal, that even before the Olympic Games, she had known it would be her last cycle. The gold medal in Paris was not a new beginning. It was the final chapter written exactly as she had envisioned.
“I realised that I no longer needed another competition to know who I am.”
There was no trace of doubt in her words. Only clarity. Perhaps the most powerful message came when she addressed something many athletes struggle to confront, identity beyond results.
“I am proud of myself for building another story alongside sport, entirely my own. Friends, family, studies, work, joy.”
It was not a farewell born of exhaustion or defeat. It was a conscious decision. A choice to leave while still whole. As she finished with, “Results come and go. You must remain,” the crowd rose to its feet. The applause was not only for an Olympic Champion but for a woman who had shown that strength is not just measured in ippons but in knowing when to bow for the final time.
Later on the day, Leski joined the EJU live stream team for a first conversation as, now, a former elite athlete. Reflecting on her journey, she admitted that the hardest battle had not been physical. “To truly believe in myself,” she said. “When you do, you can achieve big things.”
Talent had always been there. Even as a young judoka, she sensed she could go far but belief was the real turning point. When asked about the development of Slovenian judo, she smiled. “Slovenian judo”, she said, “has always held high standards.” What excites her now is seeing young athletes with desire and grit stepping forward. The future, in her eyes, depends on connection, opportunity and the courage to keep raising the bar.
There was a poetic symmetry to the day. During the medal ceremony for the -63kg category, Leski presented the gift to her fellow Slovenian gold medallist, Kaja Kajzer. It felt, unmistakably, like a passing of the baton.
“Almost,” she admitted. “It was symbolic… perfect timing. Everything fell perfectly together.”
So, when is the right time to retire? She answered simply and in honesty.
“When you start asking yourself why you are doing this, or for whom, then you should follow your heart. That is the right moment to stop.”
For her, that moment is now.
The future, she says, will be exciting. For now, she will “ride the wave” and discover what brings the same feeling that competition once did but one thing is certain: judo will not disappear from her life.
“I am leaving competitive judo but I am carrying judo values with me.”
Perhaps, that is her greatest legacy. Not only an Olympic title. Not only a golden chapter in Slovenian sport but the reminder that success is not just about reaching the top, it is about remaining yourself when you step down. In the Stožice Arena in Ljubljana, Andreja Leski bowed one final time.
The Hardest.
The Most beautiful.
Yet, entirely on her own terms.
Author: Szandra Szogedi