Another successful judo event concluded over the weekend of 30–31 May in Sarajevo. The Bosnian capital is no stranger to hosting major events, even when they come less than two weeks apart and require entirely different set-ups.
Just ten days ago, Sarajevo welcomed the Kodokan Kata Seminar, which followed directly on from the European Kata Championships. Now, another edition of the Senior European Cup has been completed in the city. Yet the year is far from over for the federation. During the summer, Sarajevo will feature on the European Open circuit, while the autumn calendar still includes the Veteran and Kata World Championships.
For now, however, let us stay in the present and look back at how the weekend unfolded. A total of 249 judoka from 21 nations took to the tatami, producing two days of high-level competition.
Türkiye finished at the top of the medal table with an impressive haul of three gold, three silver and two bronze medals, demonstrating strength across both the men’s and women’s divisions. Croatia followed closely behind with three gold, one silver and three bronze medals, while the Russian Federation secured third place with two gold, two silver and one bronze.
In total, nine nations shared the 14 gold medals on offer, while 15 countries celebrated at least one place on the podium. The host nation came agonisingly close to adding to its medal tally, narrowly missing out on podium finishes in both the -78kg and +100kg categories.
Speaking of the heavyweight men’s division, gold medallist Recep Ergin of Türkiye reflected on his victory after the medal ceremony.
“When I woke up this morning, I felt good. I believed I could win the gold medal today and I managed to do it. Now I will keep working hard. There were strong opponents but I felt comfortable on the tatami today and was able to perform at my best. My next targets are the Grand Prix and Grand Slam events and I hope to win medals there as well.”
The next Senior European Cup will take place in Skopje, North Macedonia, from 19–20 September.
Results
Author: EJU Media