Bors Dumitrescu takes the lead for Romanian juniors

Romanian youngster Lucian Bors Dumitrescu captured the gold medal in his category U66kg this weekend at the Junior European Cup in Cluj Napoca in his own country. Bors Dumitrescu belongs to those talents this season that claimed three gold medals. He is most dominant athlete in his weight class in the IJF World Tour in 2019.

Romanian secured three gold medals this weekend in Cluj but was not the winning nation. That honour was for the strong team of the Ukraine that won three gold and two silver medals and a total of twelve medals.

The first three men’s categories delivered gold for Romania. On Saturday the Romanian youngsters set the tone starting with Mircea Tomescu U60kg against Nemanja Milic (SRB). Not much later Lucian Bors Dumitrescu took the second gold for Romania when he defeated Adil Osmanov (MDA) in the final U66kg. A good motivation for Adrian Sulca who qualified for the final U73kg. Sulca took silver in Paks in June, but this time he won his final against Claudio Nunes of Luxembourg. It was the first final for any Luxembourg athlete in ten years though in the European Tour.

On Sunday the men’s categories started with U81kg. Jack Gamba of Italy booked a career best result with the victory in Cluj Napoca. He took bronze in Sarajevo last month and seems to have found the balance for more future success. He competes with Kenny Komi Bedel who took medals in Teplice and Berlin, so at the stronger events, but Gamba upgraded his learning curve after his victory against Giorgi Sherazadishvili (GEO) in this tough category. Karel Foubert of Belgium won his third bronze medal.

Then the Ukraine came up strong with gold medals for Vadim Velkov U90kg with three Ukrainian boys on the podium, only Benjamin Kendrick from Canada was the exception taking silver. Yevheniy Balyevskyy took gold in an all Ukrainian heavyweight final against Yaroslav Knysh. Zsombor Veg was able to win his category U100kg against American Daniel Pavlov.

Junior women

The most successful athlete this season in the European Tour is Kelly Petersen-Pollard of Great Britain but she didn’t compete in Cluj at the last event. Her category U70kg was won by Swedish Matilde Nilsson. The first victory for Sweden this year and second victory in five years. Nilsson defeated Mariam Tchaturia (GEO) in the final.

Serbia’s Anja Obradovic won the first gold medal of the day against Norwegian Rosa Alsgaard, the first final for a Norwegian junior in nine years. Serbia is more spoiled with 31 victories in nine years. The second for Obradovic as she won her first in 2016. On Sunday Nadezda Petrovic added a second victory for Serbia in her category U52kg. She won her final against Yuli Snir (ISR). Also Georgia took two victories: gold for Eteri Liparteliani U57kg against Marica Perisic (SRB) and heavyweight gold for Sophio Somkhishvili against Ukrainian Ruslana Bulavina. Quite a lot of medals for the Georgian women, six in total and the biggest female success ever for Georgia in this age category. Since 2004 Georgia won 28 medals, six of them this weekend in Cluj.

Russia’s Irena Khubulova won gold for women U48kg and Nataliia Chystiakova took the first of three gold medals for the Ukraine. She won her division U78kg.

Next goal is the European Championships in September in Vantaa (FIN) and World Championships in Marrakech in October.