The second and final day of the Tallinn European Open 2026 followed the first day’s expectations as the home crowd had much reason to be excited.
The day began perfectly for Estonia as the home athletes secured a string of victories, with competitors in every men’s weight category reaching at least the repechage rounds and four of them reaching the final block. A gold was expected from men’s heavyweight fighter Marek-Adrian Mäsak and he delivered exactly that, securing Estonia a second-place finish in the overall medal standings with two gold, three 5th and two 7th places.
For the first time in his career, Estonian junior, Kirill Komin (-90 kg) wrestled his way into the final block of a senior-level tournament and finished fifth after an intense match with Israeli athlete Segev Ben Haroch.
Vladimir Stepanjan, who coached six athletes today, Mäsak and Komin among them, said it is definitely easier to head into the final block with just one competitor to completely focus on, rather than having the responsibility divided. When it came to managing his attention between so many athletes throughout the intense day, Stepanjan explained that he simply took it step by step, moving his focus from one weight category to the next as the tournament progressed. Despite the hectic schedule, he was very satisfied with how the day turned out, highlighting how great it was to see three of his boys reach the final block and put up strong performances right until the very end.
Beyond the local success, it was wonderful to see the global interest in the tournament, with the grid featuring athletes traveling from all corners of the world, including nations such as Canada, the USA, Hong Kong, Bahrain, and Lebanon. This incredible international variety not only raised the level of competition on the tatami but also proved that Estonia has a spot on the global judo map.
A wave of excitement, and a brief moment of confusion, swept through the home crowd when the name “Emma Melis” was called out over the loudspeaker. For a split second, local fans thought Estonia’s heavyweight champion Emma-Melis Aktas was making another surprise appearance. Instead, it was France’s -57 kg athlete, Emma Melis, who fought her way into the bronze medal contest and put up a fierce battle against Poland’s Julia Bulanda, who ultimately snatched away the third-place medal. France ranked 6th overall with one gold, and three bronze medals while Poland finished 11th with three silver, and four bronze medals.
Day two almost repeated the magic of the opening day and got to hear a different national anthem for every single champion but Latvia decided to showcase their strength instead, with both Anastasija Sokirjanska (-57 kg) and Maksims Duinovs (-100 kg) seizing the gold and finishing with those in the overall standings third together with Bahrain.
Throughout the entire day, the tournament was filled with moments of beautiful sportsmanship, for instance, after winning the -90 kg bronze medal bout, Finland’s Artur Kanevets immediately reached down to help his opponent back to his feet. Moments like these show that even though medals are won on the tatami, the true values of judo are carried in the heart.
The Italian team finished at the top of the medal standings with two gold, two silver, and three bronze medals. The nation showed its power during both days in multiple weight categories.
Interview – Winner of the +100 kg, Marek-Adrian Mäsak (EST)
Q: At the recent European Championships, you suffered a tough loss in the very first round. Coming into this tournament today, what did you do differently, and what lessons did you take away from that experience?
M-AM: The experience I gained in Tbilisi was huge. Many people might think that if you lose your first match and just go home, there is nothing to learn from it but that is not true. I realized that my mindset going into the tatami back then was a bit wrong. As they say, we learn the most from our losses. Today, I brought a much more positive mindset with me. I knew I had to give it my all, show my absolute maximum, and be satisfied with my performance at the end of the day.
Q: Looking back at your bouts today, how do you feel they went? Did you feel more under pressure at any point, or did everything go according to plan?
M-AM: Naturally, the closer you get to the final block, moving from the early rounds to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the final, the more the tension builds up. But I tried to turn that pressure into my own advantage. I reminded myself that as much as I was feeling nervous, my opponent was feeling just as nervous, and I knew I had to use that to my benefit.
Q: Aside from your Estonian teammates, is there anyone else you particularly cheer for or keep an eye on?
M-AM: I actually have quite a few friends in the foreign national teams. There is one specific favorite whom I definitely want to face on the tatami – Teddy Riner. I want to compete against him, and I want to beat him. I will do my absolute best to make that happen.
All the athletes and judo friends are welcome to the next year’s European Open hosted by Estonia’s second-biggest city, called the city of good thoughts – Tartu.
That’s a wrap from Tallinn, but the action continues. It won’t be long before the next European Open takes centre stage, this time in Prague, Czechia, on 27–28 June.
Author: Maria-Helena Mettis
Author: EJU Media