Rita Lourenço’s bronze fight and Pablo Fernandez Calero’s rise shape Faro day two

Day two of the Faro ‘Millennium Team’ Cadet European Cup 2026 brought more intense judo, with Portugal’s Rita Lourenço and Spain’s Pablo Fernandez Calero producing two of the standout European stories on the tatami. After a hot opening day, the event kept its pace across eight more categories and closed with strong performances, emotional moments and a lively atmosphere in Faro.

Sunday’s programme featured the girls’ -57 kg, -63 kg, -70 kg and +70 kg categories, along with the boys’ -73 kg, -81 kg, -90 kg and +90 kg divisions. The heavier weights did nothing to slow the competition down.

Italy had been the dominant team on day one, but the picture changed on the second day. The Italian squad placed just one athlete into a final, in the women’s +70 kg category.

Brazil became the most visible force in the medal matches, with four finalists in the women’s events and one in the men’s. Spain also made a strong push, sending three male finalists and one female finalist into gold medal contests.

For the home crowd, Rita Lourenço delivered one of the day’s most memorable efforts in the -57 kg category. Her run toward the title ended in the quarter-final against Brazil’s Gabriela Pereira, who went on to win gold, but Lourenço did not let that defeat define her day.

She dropped into the repechage and responded with real composure, beating two French opponents to secure bronze. It was the kind of medal run that showed exactly how much judo depends on mental strength as well as physical ability.

Lourenço said that overcoming yourself mentally is vital in order to keep scoring after a loss and still reach the podium. She also made clear that the medal was not hers alone, describing it as the result of work shared with many people through training camps and at her club.

Rita Lourenço turned a quarter-final loss into a bronze medal for Portugal.

Clearly moved by the support around her, Lourenço also thanked everyone who stood behind her throughout the day. It was a personal moment that matched the energy of the arena.

In the men’s competition, Spain’s Pablo Fernandez Calero took control of the -90 kg category and finished on top. His path was not smooth from the beginning, but his judo improved contest by contest until he looked at his best in the semi-final and final.

Fernandez Calero admitted he started badly and did not feel comfortable in his first matches, with the opening contest especially long and difficult. But as the day progressed, he found his timing and rhythm, and that change carried him all the way to victory.

He summed up his approach simply: train, train and train, compete, and keep going until the win comes. He also spoke openly about his ambitions for the season, saying he hopes to reach the Cadet Europeans and the World Championships and fight there for a medal.

Pablo Fernandez Calero grew into the day and finished with -90 kg gold.

The event in Faro now moves from competition into a three-day training camp, where athletes from across Europe and beyond will continue to share the tatami. With high-level contests and strong emotions across both days, Faro signed off from this part of the cadet circuit in fitting style.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union