Distria Krasniqi claimed seventh European title for Kosovo

In the -52kg final of the European Championships in Zagreb, it was a showdown between Distria Krasniqi of Kosovo and Odette Giuffrida of Italy. Krasniqi capitalized on Giuffrida's mistake of exiting a seoi nage attempt, seizing the opportunity in golden score with some ashi waza. Despite the hard-fought nature of the contest, Giuffrida faced pressure with two shidos against her, ultimately leading to Krasniqi's victory. This marked Krasniqi's first title in the -52kg category, following a silver medal in 2018 before transitioning to -48kg. With this win, Krasniqi secured her sixth victory out of ten meetings against Giuffrida and claimed Kosovo's seventh European title since 2016.

Despite a tough final against Odetta Giuffrida, Krasniqi stuck to her tactical plan and emerged victorious. She emphasized that her journey to the Paris Olympics is progressing smoothly.

As for her participation in the World Championships in Abu Dhabi, Krasniqi remains undecided, stating that she will make a decision closer to the event. She expressed confidence in the recovery of her teammates Nora Gjakova and Laura Fazliu from thigh injuries, expecting them to return for the World Championships.

In the first semi-final of the -52kg category, Distria Krasniqi faced off against Ariane Toro Soler in a tense golden score contest. Despite Toro's strong efforts, Krasniqi remained composed and resilient, eventually securing victory with a waza ari score from an uchi mata - ko uchi gari combination. Toro accumulated shidos for passivity, leading to Krasniqi's advancement to the final.

In the final, Krasniqi will meet Odette Giuffrida, who defeated Reka Pupp in their semi-final match. Despite Pupp's efforts, Giuffrida's skill and determination were evident as she executed a successful ippon score, setting the stage for an exciting showdown between Giuffrida and Krasniqi in the final.

Reflecting on her own form, Krasniqi admitted to being self-critical, assessing herself at around 70 percent. She humorously remarked that she never reaches 100 percent perfection, joking that it would make her the flawless "Distria." Looking ahead to Paris, she suggested that 95 percent form would secure gold. With three months until the Paris Olympics, Krasniqi remains focused on her preparations