Anaysi Hernández Brings Olympic Experience to Italy’s Cadet Team in Gran Canaria

Anaysi Hernández is one of the standout figures at the Millennium Team Cadet European Judo Championships 2026 in Gran Canaria. As the opening day begins, the Olympic silver medallist from Beijing 2008 is now leading Italy’s cadet team, adding a powerful cross-generational story to one of Europe’s key youth judo events.

For the next four days, Gran Canaria hosts the continental championships and puts Europe’s rising young athletes at the centre of attention. Day one opens with the lightest six categories: girls -40 kg, -44 kg and -48 kg, together with boys -50 kg, -55 kg and -60 kg.

But beyond the fight for medals, Hernández’s presence gives the event another layer. Her path from Cuba to Europe, stretching 8,473 kilometres across the Atlantic, reflects how judo knowledge can travel, adapt and keep growing through new teams and new generations.

Now working with Italy, Hernández steps into a role that carries real responsibility. Italy has long held strong ambitions in judo, and guiding cadet athletes at a European Championships is a significant task. For a former Olympic medallist, it is also a chance to shape the next stage of the sport from the corner rather than on the tatami.

Her story is closely linked to the late Ronaldo Veitia, one of judo’s most respected coaches. Under his guidance in Cuba, Hernández developed inside a system that produced numerous Olympic and world champions. That background remains central to her coaching identity today.

What makes this moment especially meaningful is the continuity behind it. The lessons Hernández received over years of training are now being passed on to young Italian judoka competing on one of the biggest cadet stages in Europe. The country may be different, and the badge may have changed, but the values behind the work remain familiar.

Hernández spoke openly about what the opportunity means to her. She described joining Italian Judo after so many years training in Cuba under Veitia as a great honour and a real privilege. She also underlined Italy’s proud tradition and high expectations, making clear that being part of this cadet European Championships matters deeply to her.

A new generation steps onto the tatami with elite experience behind it.

At youth events like this, the spotlight usually falls on the teenagers chasing podium places. This time, it also falls on the people helping them grow. Hernández’s journey is a reminder that judo legacies do not end with medals; they continue in coaching, in mentorship and in the quiet transfer of belief from one generation to the next.

As the championships move forward in Gran Canaria, Italy’s cadets will aim to make their mark. Standing with them is a coach whose own career reached the Olympic podium, and whose next chapter is now being written in European judo.

Source: EJU.net