Brazil Surges Ahead as Graz Junior Cup Delivers Early Twists

Brazil made the biggest statement of the opening day at the European Junior Cup Graz 2026, rising to the top of the medal table despite the event’s strong European field. In a competition where nine European nations still reached the top 10 by halfway, it was the South American team that set the pace with two gold and two bronze medals.

Ana Soares was central to that push. Competing in the +78 kg category, the second seed arrived in Graz with momentum after taking the junior Pan American title a month earlier, and she carried that form straight onto the tatami in Austria. The 18-year-old won all four of her contests and needed a combined total of only 8 minutes and 25 seconds to do it.

That level of control only strengthened the feeling that Soares is building into one of the leading names to watch before the Junior World Championships in Tashkent this November. She looked composed, efficient and difficult to trouble throughout the day.

Brazil’s second gold came from an even more unexpected source. Victor Hugo Silva, also 18, entered the -60 kg field for the first international junior tournament of his career. Before this event, he was not listed in the IJF World Ranking List, but by the end of the day he had put together six victories and claimed the title in one of the standout stories of the competition.

Victor Hugo Silva turned a first junior international into a gold-medal breakthrough.

While Brazil grabbed the headlines, European athletes also produced several key moments in Graz. Austria celebrated through Leonie Bayr in the -70 kg category, with the unseeded judoka earning the host nation’s third home victory in the fifth edition of the tournament.

Bayr’s win also carried a clear sense of progress. After losing in Poznan to Diana Benkova following two counter-attacks, she said she approached this meeting differently, showing more defensive discipline and stronger tactical awareness. That adjustment helped her reverse the result, and Bayr made it clear she believed a gold medal was within reach after taking bronze in Poznan.

Slovenia added another notable European success through Neza Mesicek in the -63 kg division. The 19-year-old claimed her first gold medal by defeating the higher-ranked Ilariia Tsurkan, the EYOF winner and second seed, in an all-Slovenian final. It was a major result and another reminder of how quickly the junior scene can shift.

There were also expected wins from athletes already carrying strong recent form. Mahammad Musayev of Azerbaijan, the 2025 Junior European Champion, took gold in the -66 kg category, while Italy’s Aurora Mengia, winner of the 2026 Lignano Junior European Cup, continued her run with victory at -78 kg.

Europe answered with home joy, a Slovenian breakthrough and more form from proven names.

So the picture after day one feels open and tense at the same time. Europe supplied depth, spread and several strong champions, but Brazil still finished the day on top. The big question heading into Sunday is simple: can the leading European nations close that gap, or will Brazil keep control of the rhythm in Graz?

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union