Isabel Fernández Lives Cadet Euros from the Other Side of the Tatami

At the Millennium Team Cadet European Judo Championships Gran Canaria 2026, the spotlight was not only on the young athletes stepping onto the tatami. Around them stood coaches, teammates and parents, all carrying their own share of tension as Europe’s biggest cadet event unfolded.

One of the most striking stories came from Spain, where Isabel Fernández experienced the championships in a role very different from the one that made her famous in judo. The Sydney 2000 Olympic champion, four-time Olympian and one of Spain’s most celebrated judoka was there as a mother, watching her daughter Sara compete.

For many parents, a European Championship already brings enough nerves. For someone who has stood on that level herself, the emotions can be even more intense. Fernández knows exactly what a young athlete feels before hajime, and that knowledge did not make the wait any easier.

She admitted that following her daughter from the side of the tatami can be harder than competing. Even with all her own experience, the parent’s position brought a different kind of pressure. At the same time, she also sounded calm about Sara’s preparation, saying she felt more relaxed here than at the Spanish Championships because she knew the work had been done.

Even Olympic experience does not make a parent’s wait easy.

Sara began her campaign well, beating her Portuguese opponent in her opening contest. Her run then ended in the second match, where Fernández felt she had moved away from the tactical plan.

There was no dramatic judgment in that reaction, only perspective. Sara is still just sixteen, and Fernández viewed the mistakes as part of the process rather than something to fear. In her eyes, that is exactly why events like the Cadet European Championships matter so much.

This is where the story becomes bigger than one result. Cadet judo is about learning how to handle the stage, the pressure and the small decisions that can change a contest. A first win on a major European tatami and a difficult second fight can both become part of the same education.

Fernández’s comments showed the patience that comes from a lifetime in high-level judo. After decades at the top of the sport, she understands that progress cannot be forced. Young judoka grow through competition, through mistakes and through the experience of returning stronger.

In Gran Canaria, that message felt especially real. Behind every cadet athlete, there is a support system living every second with them. Sometimes that support comes from parents who know elite judo from the inside, and who now have to learn a new challenge: letting the next generation find its own path.

For Sara, the result was only one part of the lesson.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union