On the final day of the individual judo competition at the European Youth Olympic Festival 2025 in Skopje, the boys’ tournament concluded with thrilling displays in the two heaviest categories, as Lithuania and Hungary secured gold medals in the -90kg and +90kg divisions respectively.
In the U90kg category, contested by 21 athletes, Lithuania’s Majus Genys delivered a strong and consistent performance throughout the day, culminating in a decisive victory in the final. Genys overcame Giorgi Zurabashvili of Georgia, who had shown solid form in the earlier rounds, to secure Lithuania’s second gold medal of the tournament. This result capped an exceptional week for the Baltic nation, which surprised many with two EYOF titles, firmly placing Lithuania among the top nations in the overall judo medal tally.
Ukraine’s Artur Makarenko and Dutch talent Sieb Griede both fought their way to bronze medals, demonstrating their resilience after earlier setbacks in the semi-finals. Serbia’s Nemanja Simic and Romania’s Rares Neacsu narrowly missed the podium, finishing in fifth place after losing their respective bronze medal contests.
In the +90kg heavyweight division, Hungary celebrated its first gold of the event thanks to Daniel Csernak, who emerged victorious from a pool of 20 competitors. In a final that pitted power against strategy, Csernak overcame France’s Azriel Dekenne Diffo, who had been one of the most dominant athletes in the early rounds. The Hungarian’s win marked a significant achievement for his country and ensured a memorable conclusion to Hungary’s individual campaign in Skopje.
The bronze medals in the +90kg class went to Subhan Akhundov of Azerbaijan and Ioane Abalaki of Georgia, both of whom demonstrated impressive technical skill and physical strength. Just outside the medals were Melichar Skoda of the Czech Republic and Petar Novakovic of Serbia, each placing fifth.
With the individual tournament now complete, Azerbaijan finished atop the medal table, reaffirming its depth in youth judo with multiple podium finishes across the weight categories. Serbia followed closely with two gold medals of its own, securing a strong second place. Lithuania, however, delivered one of the standout stories of the tournament by capturing two golds, defying expectations and signaling a rising force in the European youth judo scene.