Daria Bilodid grabs unique double European title in one year

Daria Bilodid of the Ukraine became the first judoka who won both the Junior European title as well as the Cadet European title in one year. The tall Ukrainian talent is just 15 years young and one of the youngest European Junior Champions. Out of 56 champions who won both titles in one year. In the final U48kg in Malaga Bilodid defeated Daria Pichkaleva of Russia.

Among the double winners super talents like Odette Giuffrida, now vice Olympic champion, Irina Dolgova, Beka Gviniashvili, Natalia Kuziutina, Hedvig Karakas, who all competed in Rio2016. It’s clear that the youngster from the Ukraine is a serious candidate to qualify for Tokyo 2020, an ambition that can now be said loud after another impressive title. In 2020 she can be competing at her 19^th.

Bilodid is in the top five of youngest ever winners of the European Junior title and the youngest winner in the last 20 editions. In 1997 Viktória Nagy was the last one younger than Bilodid, also 15 years. The youngest ever is Anastasia Matrosova, also from the Ukraine, so this is in fact not a surprise.

Bilodid after her gold medal: “It was my dream. I really wanted to win this championship. I know that the girls here are stronger than at the Cadets and some of them are 4 years older than me but I am also strong and I knew that I can do it. I am very happy more than I was in Vantaa (2016 Cadet European Championships). I had fantastic preparation and my parents, who are also my coaches, believed in me. I don’t have a secret for success. I train very hard and I believe in my power. Next year I want to go to both World Championships and I hope I can win also those titles", the youngster stated her ambition to the EJU reporters.  

Bilodid also won the Cadet World title this season, within the last 365 days. There are some other examples who won both the European and World Cadet title in one year such as Igolnikov (in action in Malaga), Sakhavat Gadzhiev, Irina Dolgova, Beka Gviniashvili and Khasan Khalmurzaev. But no one converted from Cadet into Junior champion in the same year at such age.

Daria Bilodid is the daughter of double European champion Gennady Bilodid, world bronze medallist in 2005. He actually lost in the quarter final to Akos Braun, the current coach of Reka Pupp, who won the bronze in the same category.