Tbilisi’s key weights redraw the picture as Georgia holds strong and Europe widens its podium

The European Championships in Tbilisi got a real shake-up through the U70kg, U81kg and U90kg categories, where the medal table started to take its final shape. These were the divisions that turned results into momentum, mixing familiar dominance with the sense that European judo is getting deeper every season.

Host nation Georgia sits on top of the standings with three gold and two silver medals, and the home crowd had a major reason to believe. Luka Maisuradze delivered gold in U90kg, building his run on experience and tactical control. It was the kind of composed performance that doesn’t just win a title, it locks in a country’s position at the top.

In the pressure categories, Georgia looked comfortable on home soil.

France holds second place and the story there is depth rather than one single headline. In U70kg, 21-year-old Melkia Auchecorne pushed all the way to the final, a clear sign of how quickly she’s rising. France also picked up bronze in U90kg through Maxime-Gaël Ngayap Hambou, a result that highlighted his potential against top-level opposition.

Hungary brought championship certainty in U70kg. Szofi Özbas successfully defended her European title, continuing a run of steady performances at major events that includes multiple Grand Slam victories. In a division where small margins decide everything, that kind of reliability matters.

The bronze medals across these weights added even more energy to the tournament narrative. Switzerland’s April Lynn Fohouo was one of the revelations, taking bronze in U70kg and standing out with a big win over world number one Lara Cvjetko. In U81kg, Zelim Tckaev impressed with dynamic, innovative judo for bronze, while Serbia’s Mihajlo Simin also reached the podium and kept his reputation as a promising European talent moving forward.

In U90kg, Romania’s Alex Creț secured bronze for the second consecutive year, a quiet but important mark of consistency at championship level. Put together, these categories showed the wider trend: established champions still collect gold, yet more new names are forcing their way onto the podium—and that’s making the whole European field harder to predict.

Source: JudoInside