Just over 24 hours remain until the official draw for the Senior European Judo Championships Tbilisi 2026 is completed, and in 48 hours, the first hajime will be called as the opening contests get underway. Delegations are arriving in the Georgian capital hour by hour, and the tension, in the best possible sense, is steadily building. As final preparations draw to a close, so too do our previews, with the spotlight now on the last two weight categories: women’s +78kg and men’s +100kg.
+78kg category
In the +78kg category, two Olympic medallists will headline the field: Romane Dicko, a bronze medallist at both Tokyo and Paris, and Raz Hershko, who claimed silver in Paris. The weight category also features a world champion in Dicko, who secured the global title in 2022, further underlining her dominance on the international stage.
As reigning European champion, Dicko returns with an extraordinary record, having already captured five continental titles (2018, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025). All of last year’s medallists will be present in Tbilisi, setting the stage for a highly competitive showdown: defending champion Dicko, silver medallist Hershko, and bronze medallists Asya Tavano and Elis Startseva.
Five of the world’s top ten are set to take to the tatami: Hershko (#2), Dicko (#3), Lea Fontaine (#5), Helena Vukovic (#6), and Tavano (#9), promising a contest of the highest calibre.
At just 26, Dicko is already the most experienced competitor in the field when it comes to European Championships. Since her debut in 2018, she has built an extraordinary record: five appearances, five titles, and an unbeaten run across every contest she has fought. Tbilisi will mark her sixth senior European Championships and another opportunity to extend a remarkable legacy.
The question remains: can anyone stop the five-time European champion? On paper, it seems unlikely. Among the current field, only Elis Startseva and Asya Tavano have managed to defeat her, each doing so once Startseva during the team event at the 2025 World Championships in Budapest, and Tavano at the 2023 World Championships in Doha. Even so, Dicko maintains a commanding 3–1 head-to-head record against both, reinforcing her position as the athlete to beat.
European champions of the past ten years in the +78kg weight category
2016, Kazan (RUS): Kayra Sayit (TUR)
2017, Warsaw (POL): Maryna Slutskaya (BLR)
2018, Tel-Aviv (ISR): Romane Dicko (FRA)
2019, Minsk (BLR): Maryna Slutskaya (BLR)
2020, Prague (CZE): Romane Dicko (FRA)
2021, Lisbon (POR): Kayra Sayit (TUR)
2022, Sofia (BUL): Romane Dicko (FRA)
2023, Montpellier (FRA): Romane Dicko (FRA)
2024, Zagreb (CRO): Raz Hershko (ISR)
2025, Podgorica (MNE): Romane Dicko (FRA)
+100kg category
In the +100kg category, three Olympic medallists lead the charge: Lukáš Krpálek, a double Olympic champion with gold in Rio (100kg) and Tokyo (+100kg), Guram Tushishvili, Tokyo silver medallist, and Tamerlan Bashaev, who claimed bronze at the same Games.
The field is further strengthened by two world champions in Tushishvili (2018) and Krpálek, who secured world titles in 2014 (100kg) and 2019 (+100kg), underlining the depth of quality in this heavyweight division.
Reigning European and world champion, Inal Tasoev will not compete in Tbilisi, leaving the title wide open. However, experience is in no short supply: Tushishvili is a two-time European champion (2017, 2019), Krpálek a three-time winner (2013, 2014, 2018), while Bashaev (2020), Jur Spijkers (2022), and Martti Puumalainen (2023) have all previously stood atop the continental podium.
Among last year’s medallists, silver medallist Valeriy Endovitskiy and bronze medallists Erik Abramov and Krpálek will all feature in Tbilisi, ensuring continuity at the top level. From the current world ranking top ten, three athletes are set to compete: Spijkers (#6), Tushishvili (#7), and Kanan Nasibov (#10), each capable of making a decisive impact.
The last time a home judoka claimed gold in this category was in 2014 in Montpellier, when Teddy Riner took the title. In Tbilisi, Guram Tushishvili will have the opportunity to rewrite that story.
At 35, Krpálek stands as the most experienced athlete in the field. Since his European Championships debut in 2010, he has accumulated an impressive collection of three gold, one silver, and three bronze medals. Tbilisi will mark his 15th senior European Championships appearance, adding to a career that already includes two Olympic titles and two world championships.
Five former European champions will take to the tatami in Tbilisi but one rivalry stands above the rest. The long-standing contest between Tushishvili and Bashaev has played out 11 times on the international stage, with the Georgian holding a narrow 6–5 advantage…, for now.
European champions of the past ten years in the +100kg weight category
2016, Kazan (RUS): Teddy Riner (FRA)
2017, Warsaw (POL): Guram Tushishvili (GEO)
2018, Tel-Aviv (ISR): Lukas Krpalek (CZE)
2019, Minsk (BLR): Guram Tushishvili (GEO)
2020, Prague (CZE): Tamerlan Bashaev (RUS)
2021, Lisbon (POR): Inal Tasoev (RUS)
2022, Sofia (BUL): Jur Spijkers (NED)
2023, Montpellier (FRA): Martti Puumalainen (FIN)
2024, Zagreb (CRO): Inal Tasoev (RUS)
2025, Podgorica (MNE): Inal Tasoev (RUS)
Author: EJU Media