Germany claims four gold medals at European Cup Sindelfingen

Germany was the strongest nation today at the European Cup in Saarbrucken, this year's host city after three years Sindelfingen. The German team won four gold medals and twelve medals in total. Belgium was effective with two gold medals and Romania grabbed one. The Netherlands was good but less effective with three lost finals.

Belgian judoka Jorre Verstraeten claimed the victory in the men’s U60kg. In the final defeated Bas Koffijberg. Verstraeten booked his first victory in a Senior European Cup. He won Junior European Cups in in 2015.  Koffijberg won the European Cup in Uster this year. Last year in Sindelfingen he was fifth. Verstraeten won five matches, in the final he scored ippon halfway the match.

Another Belgian celebration after Kenneth van Gansbeke captured the gold medal for men U66kg. Van Gansbeke defeated Lukas Vennekold of Germany.  Also Van Gansbeke won five matches today and he also booked his first victory at European Cup level. The 26-year old Belgian competed at many European Championships and was expected to end in the medals, but 20-year old Vennekold gave a good match but couldn’t prevent Van Gansbeke from scoring twice. Vennekold is an upcoming talent, he did win gold in Bratislava this year. Van Gansbeke became the successor of last year's winner and current Olympic Champion Fabio Basile.

35 Men U73kg saw that Anthony Zingg was the strongest today. In the final he defeated Julian Kolein in a tight match but the yuko that he scored one minute for the end was enough for the victory, although Kolein seemed to score yuko as well 20 seconds for the end, but it was taken away. Zingg also won the title in 2014, then U66kg. Last year’s European U23 champion had to win five contests for the gold medal. Zingg and Kolein also fought the final of the national German Championships last January. The top 6 was completely taken by German fighters.

Katharina Menz was the favourite in the category U48kg and she confirmed her role winning the gold. Menz defeated Julia Rotthoff, also from Germany in the final. Menz had to win only three contests. In the semi final she defeated Kim Akker (NED) who captured bronze. Despite her favourite role it was the first time for Menz to win a European Cup, she lost 7 finals before, including last year’s final. This year she also won bronze at the European Open in Madrid.

Romanian Larisa Florian took the gold medal for women U52kg. The Former European cadet and U23 Champion was too strong for the experienced French Laura Holtzinger who defeated Verena Thumm in the semi final. Florian also won the European Cup in Bratislava this year.

Amelie Stoll won gold for women U57kg. In the final she led by wazari against Margriet Bergstra of the Netherlands and kept her lead until the end. Stoll won all her four contests in Saabrucken. She also won bronze at the European Cups in Uster and Celje this year but never won a senior title. Dewy Karthaus (NED) and Manon Durbach (LUX) won bronze medals.

The gold for women U63kg went to Lea Reimann. The 22-year German defeated Geke van den Berg of the Netherlands. The 3-year older sister of Lara Reimann won gold in Saarbrucken after four victories, three against Dutch opponents. Sister Lara helped her with the warmup. After her victory in Dubrovnik in April this victory wasn’t a surprise anymore but the final wasn’t that easy. But after two minutes Reimann struck with a super uchimata and straight ippon.

Watch all photos