A fine day at the European Championships for judoka under 23 in Chisinau, Moldova, saw winners from seven different countries, proof once again of the strength and depth of European judo. France ended the day on top of the medal table with one gold and two silvers, while Italy delivered another strong performance, collecting five medals including gold for Giulia Carna.
There was also a special golden moment for Finland, which celebrated its first ever European title in this age category thanks to the remarkable victory of Louna-Lumia Seikkula, who became the first Finnish U23 European champion in history.
Louna-Lumia Seikkula could barely find words to describe her emotions after such an unforgettable day. She celebrated with her coach, Eetu Laamanen, and her first promise after the medal ceremony was to call her parents. In the final of the -63kg category, she defeated France’s Julie Falgon, who had entered the match in great form after a spectacular uchi-mata in the semi-final, arguably the throw of the day. But in the final, Falgon quickly fell behind, and the tough, disciplined Finnish judoka never let her advantage slip away. It was a historic triumph for Finland, a country that had twice before reached a U23 European final – Nina Koivumäki-Luukkainen in 2006 and Johanna Ylinen in 2004, both in the same category – but had never managed to win. That changed today, as Seikkula wrote a new page in Finnish judo history.
Hungary also celebrated gold through lightweight Szabina Szeleczki, who impressed with quick, decisive wins throughout the day. In the final, she needed just nine seconds to throw Poland’s Zuzanna Wozniak for ippon, following a similarly dominant performance in the semi-final. Her victory marked Hungary’s 32nd European title in this age group, a testament to the nation’s consistent pipeline of young talent.
France’s Pauline Cuq continues her impressive rise, adding the U23 European title at -52kg to her cadet crown from 2021. After two previous bronze medals at this level, this time gold was hers, though it did not come easily. Top seed Nikolina Nisavic of Serbia, who had beaten Cuq twice before, proved a formidable opponent. Yet Cuq and her coach, Automne Pavia, executed their plan perfectly. Patiently and tactically, she wore down Nisavic to claim a well-earned victory and her first U23 European title.
Giulia Carna was Italy’s golden star of the day, taking gold after a hard-fought final against France’s Alya De Carvalho. It was the only gold for the always-strong Italian team, which also collected four bronze medals. Georgia’s Nino Loladze continued her consistent form with a third consecutive European medal, adding bronze in Chisinau, while Lithuania’s Varvara Kuchar delivered her country’s first medal at this level since 2009, another bronze.
The men’s divisions offered plenty of drama and emotion as well. Armenia celebrated a piece of history as Vahe Aghasyan took gold in the -60kg category, marking the country’s first European U23 title since 2003, when Armen Nazaryan won at the inaugural edition in Yerevan. Aghasyan’s victory over Georgia’s Mate Gogoberishvili in the final was convincing and complete, giving Armenia a memorable return to the top.
The -66kg final was one of the most entertaining of the day. Dutch judoka Jochem van Harten produced an exciting, risk-taking performance, taking an early lead against Islam Rahimov of Azerbaijan. Van Harten, winner of the EYOF in 2022, showed his trademark attacking style and came close to victory in a category where the Netherlands rarely shines. But Rahimov’s experience told in the end. The Azerbaijani turned the contest around with a huge throw and finished on the ground with a hold-down, sealing the gold and leaving Van Harten with a well-deserved silver.
Romania’s Ioan Dzitac was another standout performer, claiming gold in the -73kg division. Though a surprise to some, the win fits perfectly within his steady progression. A bronze medallist at the Junior European Championships in Prague in 2022, Dzitac became only the third Romanian man ever to capture a U23 European title. In the final, he defeated Mate Beruashvili with a brave and beautiful sacrifice throw, one that will surely be remembered among the highlights of the tournament. For Dzitac, it was a dream day, one that will make that gold medal under the pillow shine even brighter tonight.