Brazilian juniors win ten gold medals at European Cup Coimbra

At the first European Cup of the season the Brazilian juniors impressed with ten gold medals in Coimbra. The Portuguese judo city was traditionally the first host of this season and the Portuguese fans saw David Reis winning gold on Saturday and Jaime Santos on Sunday.

Two gold medals for the host city but the winner of the medal tally was Brazil with ten titles. On the first match day the Brazilian juniors claimed six gold medals.

Dutch judoka Jorien Visser captured the gold medal U57kg in an all Dutch final against Larissa van Krevel. On Sunday Hilde Jager took gold U70kg against Maria Serrano (ESP). Russia won gold U78kg when Svetlana Voronina bested her country woman Anastasiia Iliushkina.

Laura Ferreira of Brazil won a second gold medal in her European tour. Last week she claimed the first place at cadet level in Zagreb, this time she won gold U44kg. Larissa Pimenta U48kg, Jessica Lima U52kg, Yanka Pascoalino U63kg and heavyweight Ellen Furtado guaranteed five medals in the women’s division.

In the men’s weight categories Bruno Watanabe opened with gold for Brazil U55kg followed by Kainan Pires U60kg. Jeferson Santos U60kg and on Sunday Tiago Pinho U81kg impressed with gold and heavyweight Arthur Barboza finished the medal haul of the Brazilian juniors.

Portuguese athletes David Reis, Jaime Santos and Dutchman Jelle Snippe U100kg were the only none Brazilian men to take the victory in Coimbra. Reis defeated Twan van der Werff (NED), Pinho overcame Salvatore D’Arco (ITA) and Snippe was able to beat Mathias Madsen (DEN) in his final.

For the first time in ten year Brazil won ten gold medals in a European Cup for Juniors, the record is still in Boras in 2006 when Brazil took twelve gold medals. Outside Europe Brazil took 11 gold medals at the Pan American Cup Juniors in San Jose in 2015.