Bright Maddaloni Nosa does it for Italy

Italy added another two gold medals at the Junior European Cup in Lignano on Sunday. It was an expected title for the strong man from Napoli Bright Maddaloni Nosa who captured the gold U81kg. He is one of the future outlooks for the men’s senior team. In the final in Lignano Bright defeated Filip Ivanka of Czech Republic. Maddaloni became a successor of current World Champion Matthias Casse who won the event in Lignano in 2017, the year of his Junior World title. It was 11 years ago since Italy won this title. It was his first victory at a European Cup for Juniors being 18.

The women’s lightweights are always strong in Italy and today was not an exception when Giulia Giorgi claimed the gold medal U48kg. Giorgi became the successor to last year’s winner Asia Avanzato after Giorgi bested French opponent Lea Beres in the final. Despite the 13 girls, it was a good quality field which makes Giorgi a medal candidate for the Europeans later this year.

Hungary has Reka Pupp as world number two in the seniors, but the future is knocking on the Europeans doors. U52kg Rebeka Keller grabbed the title after she overcame Austria’s Larissa Sickinger who took silver.

Dutch youngster Elin Henninger is back at her level with another European Cup win. That gives opportunities for the future as the U57kg class is quite open in the Netherlands. Henninger this time defeated Italian opposition with Chiara Zuccaro who took silver and Veronica Toniolo who won bronze in a strong field of 26 talents. In the past this category was won by Rafaela Silva, Maria Centracchio, Kaja Kajzer to name a few world class athletes.

In the men’s division Belgian is creating a strong team for the future. Not only they shine at senior level, but the talents are shaking up the European order. The title U90kg was for Ilman Nesirkoyev. He defeated Aslan Papoyan of Austria in Sunday’s final.

France took a gold medal in the end with Mathias Anglionin who won the strong category U100kg. France never won this category in Lignano in more than a decade. Anglionin defeated Benjamin Mataseje of Slovakia in Sunday’s final.

The heavyweight title went to Dutchman Jules Blom, his first major title after the bronze in Coimbra this year. It was the first heavyweight title for the Dutch ever for heavyweights in Italy. In the final the tall Dutchman overcame French Mathys Gomes Da Silva. At European Championships level the field will be stronger than in Lignano.

Nonetheless a useful practice this weekend, important for benchmarking powers a few months in advance of the Junior European Championships in Prague in September.