Judo history at 25 April with lots of great titles

This week the European Championships in Sofia take place. April is usually the time for the Europeans. Actually on this day (25 April) we’ve had a number of European Championships such as the edition in 2009, just after the war with Russia, Georgia organized the Europeans and had a number of great champions on this day, such as Lucie Decosse (FRA) and Urska Zolnir (SLO) who became the Olympic Champions in 2012. Also Ivan Nifontov (RUS) who took bronze in the London Olympics and became World Champion in Rotterdam a few months later.

In Georgia Volodymyr Soroka won the last of 8 Ukrainian European titles that decade, it was opened by Gennady Bilodid in 2001. His daughter claimed the last European title of Ukraine in 2019.

In Budapest in 2013 Lasha Shavdatuashvili (GEO) added a second big title to his list of honours. He was already Olympic Champion and in Hungary he became European Champion U66kg, last year he added the world title U73kg and took all titles in his career. His countryman Amiran Papinashvili (GEO) took the European lightweight title on this day in 2013. Éva Csernoviczki (HUN) who won 10 European medals in a row this time claimed the gold medal. Automne Pavia (FRA) was in action in Budapest catching the European title. Last weekend she was a coach at the European Cup in Strasbourg and had a baby meanwhile.

The one is giving birth this year to a baby is Kim Polling (NED) who added another European title at 25 April 2014 in Montpellier. It was a great day for the Dutch as also Dex Elmont won his first European title catching Ugo Legrand on home soil. He actually lost the final on 25 April 2009 in Tbilisi. That Championships had some other great winners in Avtandili Tchrikishvili (GEO) who took revenge on Loic Pietri (FRA) on his 2013 World title in Rio. Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA) succeeded to win her second European title, just like Polling and we all knew, there was more to come.

There is judo history each day. Enjoy the European Championships this week from Sofia.