Preview day 1 of the European Championships in Montpellier

The first day of the European Championships in Montpellier will feature some top athletes, such as in the U48kg category with 23 entries including Assunta Scutto (ITA) leading the list as the world ranking leader. She recently won the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.

Shirine Boukli (FRA), the 2022 European Champion, closely follows. Serbia and Spain will be represented by Laura Martinez Abelenda, Mireia Lapuerta Comas, Milica Nikolic, and Andrea Stojadinov. Catarina Costa (POR) returns as one of the top four seeds. Francesca Milani (ITA) and Shira Rishony (ISR) will also compete. Other notable unseeded participants include Katharina Menz (GER), Sabina Giliazova (AIN), and Marusa Stangar (SLO).

In the U60kg category, Francisco Garrigos (ESP) is the top seed and the reigning champion. He faced Yanislav Gerchev (BUL) in last year's final. Jorre Verstraeten (BEL), a 2022 bronze medallist, will challenge for gold, with strong competition from Balabay Aghayev (AZE) and Dilshot Khalmatov (UKR). Unseeded athletes include Giorgi Sardalashvili (GEO), Turan Bayramov (AZE), Luka Mkheidze (FRA), and Romain Valadier Picard (FRA).

World Ranked #1 Assunta Scutto ITA)

Scutto captured a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2023 in Doha and in 2022 Tashkent. Assunta took the Junior world title in 2021 in Olbia and world silver in 2022. She claimed gold at the Grand Slams in Astana, Abu Dhabi and Baku in 2023 and is on fire.

The U52kg category showcases Amandine Buchard (FRA), Chelsie Giles (GBR), and Odette Giuffrida (ITA), all Tokyo 2020 Olympic podium finishers. Distria Krasniqi (KOS), the -48kg Olympic Champion, joins them. Other contenders include Gefen Primo (ISR) and PUPP Reka (HUN). Unseeded participants to watch are Ana Viktorija Puljiz (CRO) and Alesya Kuznetsova (AIN).

World Ranked #1 Distria Krasniqi (KOS)

Krasniqi took gold at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo U48kg. She became European Champion of 2021 in Lisbon. She took European bronze in 2020. She claimed bronze at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships. She was World Junior Champion for Kosova U52kg. She captured again the world number one position in U52kg, a tremendous performance. Distria collected a number of IJF World Tour medals this year: gold in Portugal and Grand Slam in Tbilisi in 2022 and silver in Tbilisi and Baku in 2023.

In the U66kg category, Denis Vieru (MDA) is the world ranking leader, followed by Vazha Marghvelashvili (GEO), Bogdan Iadov (UKR), and Walide Khyar (FRA). Yashar Najafov (AZE) and David Garcia Torne (ESP) are also top seeds. Yago Abuladze (AIN) and Fabio Basile (ITA) present additional challenges.

World Ranked #1 Denis Vieru (MDA)

Vieru captured bronze at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships. He finished 2022 with gold at the World Masters. This year in Budapest he took silver and took Grand Slam bronze medals in Paris and Baku. He took European bronze medals in 2020 and 2022 but has the potential to win it this edition.

The U57kg category features 28 athletes. Timna Nelson Levy (ISR), the 2022 winner, is among the top four seeds, along with Nora Gjakova (KOS) and Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA). Eteri Liparteliani (GEO) and Mina Libeer (BEL) seek to improve upon their 2022 bronze medals. The intensity continues with Veronica Toniolo (ITA), Telma Monteiro (POR), and Pauline Starke (GER) among the top seeds. Notable unseeded participants include Nekoda Smythe-Davis (GBR) and Julia Kowalczyk (POL).