Strong GB Performances at Sarajevo and Rome European Cups

There were strong performances across the board this weekend at the Sarajevo Junior European Cup and the Rome Cadet European Cup.

In Sarajevo, five GB judoka secured 5th and 7th place finishes, coming incredibly close to the podium at the first Junior European Cup of 2026.

In the –60kg category, David Gheorghiu (Nippon JC) secured a 7th-place finish. Gheorghiu faced a tough draw, meeting the eventual bronze medallist in his opening contest and being pushed into the repechage. He responded well, winning two repechage bouts, one by ippon and one by yuko, before narrowly missing out in his final contest to take a promising 7th place.

The –48kg category was particularly strong for GB. Eva Ewing (Edinburgh Judo) secured a 5th-place finish, narrowly missing out on the podium, while Daisy Hodgkinson (Team Bath) finished 7th, just outside a bronze medal contest. Both athletes delivered excellent performances throughout the day.

Lenny Tancock (Bishops Stortford JK) put in a strong performance in Sarajevo to take a 7th-place finish in the highly contested –81kg division. With three wins and two losses on the day, Tancock recorded his best-ever result at a Junior European Cup, in just his second appearance at this level following his debut at the Kaunas Junior European Cup.

To round out GB’s results in Sarajevo, Nicole Wood (Bishops Stortford JK) secured a 5th-place finish in the –78kg category. Wood began her day in the quarter-final with a strong win by ippon before contesting two tough bouts in the semi-final and bronze medal match, narrowly missing out on a medal.

It was a similar story for our British judoka at the Rome Cadet European Cup, with five top-seven finishes in Italy, just missing out on podium places.

Reece Blackshaw (Penistone JC) recorded his best-ever result at a Cadet European Cup with a 7th-place finish in the –55kg division. Blackshaw progressed from the Round of 64 through to the quarter-final before being pushed into the repechage rounds, where he won his first contest before exiting in the second. Seven competitive fights in the first competition of the year provided an excellent development opportunity.

Katrina Davis (Sakura JC) finished 7th in the –44kg division, an excellent result in her first-ever Cadet European Cup appearance. Davis progressed from the Round of 32 to the quarter-final before continuing her campaign in the repechage.

Maisie Broadley (Wirral JC) also secured a 7th-place finish in the –48kg category, marking her best result at a Cadet European Cup. Her Round of 32 and Round of 16 contests both went to golden score, lasting a combined 14 minutes, demonstrating resilience and determination throughout the day. She fought well in the repechage, but narrowly missed out in her final bout.

Luka Abashidze (Bishops Stortford JK) impressed in the highly contested –73kg division, progressing from the Round of 128 to the quarter-final. After being moved into the repechage, he won his first contest before losing his second to finish 7th.

Finally, in the –57kg division, Maisie Shattock (Bacup JC) also recorded her best result at this level with a 7th-place finish. She put in strong performances from the Round of 64 through to the Round of 16, but just missed out on making it to the bronze medal fight through the repechage.

Congratulations to everyone who competed, with strong performances across the divisions in both Sarajevo and Rome!

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