Matvej Kanikovskiy aims for Olympic gold after confirmation in Zagreb

The highly anticipated men's U100kg European title was claimed by Matvej Kanikovskiy of AIN, who showcased his dominance by defeating Georgia's Ilia Sulamanidze in the final. Despite a valiant effort from Sulamanidze, Kanikovskiy managed to execute a decisive kata guruma with just 40 seconds remaining, earning a waza ari and securing the gold.

This victory marks a significant milestone for Kanikovskiy, who has now completed his collection of titles across cadet, junior, and senior levels. The rivalry between Kanikovskiy and Sulamanidze, which began in 2018 during their cadet years, promises to be a compelling storyline in the years to come, with the current head-to-head record standing at 4:3 in favor of the Georgian.

Unfortunately for Sulamanidze, this marks the second consecutive year he has settled for the silver medal, highlighting the intensity of competition at the European Championships.

The host nation's hopes were dashed as Zlatko Kumric of Croatia fell to Gennaro Pirelli of Italy, the Tokyo Grand Slam winner, who utilized his signature drop seoi nage technique to clinch his first senior European Championship medal.

Meanwhile, Zelym Kotsoiev of Azerbaijan, aiming for redemption after his defeat to Kanikovskiy, faced a tough challenge against Michael Korrel of the Netherlands. In a grueling golden score battle, the victory ultimately went to Korrel, who secured the medal with a ko soto gake.