Germany strong at 10th anniversary in Dubrovnik

The 10th anniversary of the European Cup in Dubrovnik saw 350 judokas from 28 countries gather for a successful event. Among the highlights, two-time world champion and world number one -70kg Barbara Matić joined the audience to support the teams. Germany and the Netherlands both claimed three gold medals.

In the -73kg category, Jano Ruebo of Germany emerged victorious among 45 competitors. Ruebo expressed his satisfaction with winning his second medal in Dubrovnik and looks forward to the European Championships Mixed Teams in Zagreb.

Nina Simić secured another gold medal in the -63kg category, reflecting on her recent success and her desire to compete in higher weight categories.

Tihea Topolovec narrowly missed out on a medal in the -57kg category due to disqualification, despite impressive performances earlier in the day.

In the -66kg category, Nikola Zorotović finished in seventh place after a series of matches, showcasing both victories and losses throughout the competition.

The Croatian team excelled on home turf, with five athletes securing podium spots in the upper weight categories. Notable performances include Dominik Družeta's bronze medal in the -81kg category and Anđela Violić's victory in the -70kg category.

Other Croatian athletes, including Karla Kulić, Nika Jakuš, Lorena Perković, and Marćelina Vranješ, also secured bronze medals in their respective weight categories, contributing to Croatia's overall success.

Despite the strong showing from the Croatian team, Germany emerged as the top-performing nation of the event, followed by the Netherlands and Slovenia. Germany won gold via Jano Ruebo, Lasse Schriever and Jana Ziegler and the Dutch took the second place thanks to their gold medallists Silvan Bulthuis, Joshlyn Supusepa and Paulien Sweers

With the European Cup in Dubrovnik concluded, the Croatian Judo Federation is gearing up to host the European Championships in Zagreb from April 25 to 28.