Triple gold for Ukraine at first Euro Open in Ljubljana

Ukraine dominated the opening day of the first-ever European Open in Ljubljana, taking three gold medals and setting the tone for the tournament. With 419 judoka from 31 nations competing, the event delivered thrilling matchups and intense golden score battles, making a spectacular debut in Slovenia’s capital.

In the -63kg category, Anastasiia Antipina of Ukraine faced off against Hungary’s Varga Brigitta in the final. Both judoka had previously collected numerous bronze medals at this level, but in Ljubljana, it was Antipina who seized the opportunity to stand on top of the podium for the first time. Using circling momentum, she executed a well-timed ko soto gari, following her opponent to the ground to ensure the ippon score and claim gold.
The -60kg final was an exciting display of young talent as Yehonatan Veksler of Israel, making his senior debut, faced off against Csanad Feczko of Hungary. Veksler, who had already made a name for himself as a Cadet European Champion and Junior European finalist, stepped onto the senior circuit with confidence. Feczko, a past winner at this level, was aiming for his second European Open title, but Veksler had other plans. Feeling his opponent’s resistance when attempting a forward throw, he quickly switched direction with a ko soto gari, securing a waza ari score to take the gold medal in his first senior outing.
Arguably one of the most intense contests of the final block came in the -66kg category, where Jochem Van Harten of the Netherlands met Ukraine’s Nazar Viskov. Both young judoka, at just 20 and 19 years old, have already made their mark on the international stage, with Van Harten winning gold at the European Youth Olympic Festival and Viskov securing Junior and U23 European titles. This was their first European Open final, and both were determined to take home the gold. After a grueling minute and a half of golden score, Viskov found the decisive moment, attacking with o soto gari and using his last burst of energy to drive back and lift Van Harten’s leg high, leaving no escape and securing Ukraine’s second gold of the day.
The -73kg category saw Ukraine’s Said-Magomed Khalidov put in a ballistic performance throughout the day, but in the final, he faced stiff competition from Zakary Ainseba of France. In yet another golden score battle, Ainseba attempted a standing seoi nage, but Khalidov anticipated the movement and countered with a strong throw, earning a waza ari score and adding another gold to Ukraine’s tally.
In the -70kg final, Switzerland’s Gioia Vetterli took on Ukraine’s Anna Oliinyk-Korniiko, who already had five continental championship medals to her name. The young Ukrainian had a tough challenge in Vetterli, who had previously medalled three times at the European Open level. In this final, experience prevailed as Oliinyk-Korniiko made an error going to the ground, giving Vetterli the perfect opening to secure a juji gatame submission, claiming the gold medal.
The -78kg final was another closely contested bout between Kaila Isouffi of France and Lea Schmid of Germany. Both judoka were competing in their first European Open final, and it was clear from the beginning that neither wanted to give an inch. The match extended into golden score, with both athletes having close attempts at scoring. It wasn’t so much a mistake from Schmid, but rather the anticipation from Isouffi that made the difference. As Schmid attacked with a ko soto gari, Isouffi used the space created to immediately transition into osae komi, holding her opponent down and securing the gold medal.
Slovenia’s home crowd had plenty to cheer for when Junior European Champion and World bronze medallist Kaja Schuster stepped onto the mat in the -78kg category. Competing in a heavier division than usual, Schuster gave an impressive performance and managed to secure Slovenia’s only medal of the day, much to the delight of the home fans.
The final of the +78kg category between Italy’s Erica Simonetti and the Netherlands’ Carmen Dijkstra was one of the quickest matches of the final block. Unlike many of the earlier finals that went into golden score, Simonetti wasted no time in securing victory. After taking Dijkstra to the ground, she worked tirelessly to secure the osaekomi hold, earning her first European Open gold in just over a minute. Simonetti, a two-time continental champion, has already proven herself on the senior circuit with an IJF World Tour medal, and this win further established her growing presence in international judo.
The opening day of the European Open in Ljubljana delivered high-level judo action, with Ukraine setting the pace at the top of the medal table. As the tournament continues, anticipation builds for more exciting battles and standout performances in Slovenia’s debut as a European Open host