Six European judoka head into the World Junior Judo Championships Lima 2025 as world number ones. Among them, some are also reigning European champions. At the 2024 junior worlds, Europe captured four gold medals. Can the continent do even better this time? Let’s meet some of the most promising European contenders landing in Lima.
The list begins with -70kg world number one April Lynn Fohouo (SUI). She took silver at last year’s junior worlds and repeated that result at the 2025 Junior Europeans in Bratislava, where she was visibly devastated. For Fohouo, Peru promises redemption. Should she triumph in Lima, she would become Switzerland’s first-ever junior world champion. One of her rivals, Ecem Baysug (TUR), who defeated her in the European final, remains unseeded at the worlds but her continental title is sure to boost her confidence. With five Europeans among the top eight seeds, this weight class offers Europe strong medal hopes.
In the +78kg division, Celia Cancan (FRA) tops the world rankings. A 2024 junior world silver medallist, she also claimed her second European crown a few weeks ago in Bratislava. Traditionally, this category is dominated by Asian and Pan-American athletes, but with Cancan and Emma-Melis Aktas (EST), who placed fifth at this year’s senior worlds, Europe has every chance of striking gold.
France’s Lila Mazzarino leads the -78kg rankings. The 2025 European champion came agonisingly close to the podium at the last junior worlds but her dominant display in Bratislava confirmed her status as a medal favourite in Lima. She will be joined by Mathilda Sophie Niemeyer (GER), last year’s world silver medallist, making this another division where Europe looks particularly strong.
Italy’s Gaia Stella currently reigns in the -52kg class. Fresh from her European title win, she aims to fly the Italian flag high in Peru. She will be accompanied by teammate Ilaria Finestrone, European silver medallist, and Germany’s Tabea Nika Mecklenburg, a three-time Junior European Cup winner and 2024 European bronze medallist.
In -48kg, Aitana Diaz Hernandez (ESP) is both junior European champion and world number one. Remarkably, the top four seeds in this category are all European: Morgane Annis (FRA), Helen Habib (GER), and Sofia Mazzola (ITA) line up just behind her. However, there is one dramatic twist, Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Tara Babulfath (SWE) appears on the entry list unseeded. That means any of the top seeds could meet her in round one, turning the draw on its head in an instant.
On the men’s side, the sole European ranked number one is Milan Bulaja (SRB) at -100kg. A back-to-back European champion, Bulaja has already contested two junior world championships and will arrive in Lima determined to dominate. His long-time rival, Jakob Vares (EST), also returns. The pair have contested multiple finals, including the last two European finals, and a showdown in Lima would be the perfect climax.
In the -63kg category, Savita Russo (ITA) is the clear favourite. The Paris 2024 Olympian sits second in the world junior rankings only because of her busy senior schedule, where she claimed bronze at the 2024 senior Europeans. Russo is also the 2024 junior world silver medallist and 2025 European champion. Few doubt her golden ambitions in Lima.
Another Paris Olympian, Ibrahim Tataroglu (TUR), will compete in +100kg. Just 19, he is already a double junior world medallist, double Grand Slam medallist, and 2024 junior European champion. Like Russo, his lower junior ranking reflects his senior commitments, not his true threat level.
With such a line-up, the 2025 junior Worlds look highly promising for Europe, with every chance of surpassing last year’s four-gold tally. The championships take place from 5–7 October (individual events) followed by the mixed team competition on 8 October. All the action will be streamed live on JudoTV.com.
Author: Szandra Szogedi