Italy’s Kata Wave Rolls Through Sarajevo as Europe’s Podiums Fill Up

Italy closed the European Judo Championships Kata Sarajevo 2026 in commanding style, finishing first in the overall medal table with 15 medals: eight gold, two silver and five bronze. It was a huge statement across cadet, junior and senior competition, with Italian pairs appearing again and again in the decisive moments.

The Netherlands followed in second with five gold, two silver and four bronze medals, while Germany placed third with three gold, three silver and two bronze. In total, 15 nations left Sarajevo with at least one medal, underlining how wide the level of kata is growing across Europe.

Italy kept finding a way onto the podium.

One of the most dramatic contests came in Nage-no-Kata Cadet. Italy’s Elia Domenichini and Daniele Gabbriellini finished tied on score with France’s Stella Pellegrino and Loane Pellegrino, both on 247 points. With the tie decided by technical details and the nature of the mistakes, the Italian pair took gold, while their teammates Francesco Cosentino and Andrea Giannettoni added bronze with 245.

That category captured the tone of Italy’s event: depth, precision and visible emotion. The gold medallists improved from silver last year, while the bronze medallists made a big jump after exiting in the preliminary stage in the previous edition.

Katame-no-Kata Cadet briefly interrupted the Italian run. Russia’s Daniil Timoshenko and Aleksei Antonov claimed gold with 364.5 points after a composed performance, finishing ahead of Italy’s Irene Laurini and Eva Carbini Diotallevi on 363, with Italy’s Ryan Leonardo Anzalone and Enrico Bertrand taking bronze on 362. The margins were tiny, but the podium still showed Italy’s consistency.

In Ju-no-Kata Cadet, Martina Padalino and Ania De Palma added another Italian title with 380.5 points. Poland’s Anna Zwajkowska and Alicja Zenni earned silver on 371, and Italy returned for bronze through Michelangelo Lolli and Alessia Italia on 369.

The junior divisions brought more variety, but Italy remained central to the story. Spain controlled Nage-no-Kata Junior through Diego Hurtado Martin and Javier Miguélez de Salas, while Germany’s Jette Buchholz and Laurenz Degener took silver and Spain added bronze through Eva Manzano Cisneros and Andrea Limón Tamargo.

Slovenia then delivered one of the standout performances of the event in Katame-no-Kata Junior. Kara and Keno Kojc took gold with 387.5 points, ahead of Italy’s Giada Casetta and Francesco Piva in silver, while the Netherlands’ Tristan Donga and Stan van der Meer completed the podium.

The junior categories showed just how deep European kata has become.

Italy struck gold again in Ju-no-Kata Junior as Giulia Bezzi and Sara Orlando won with 380 points. Spain’s Alvaro Sanchez Resino and Sara Fernandez Martinez were only one point back for silver, and Czech pair Barbora Selesovska and Brigita Biolkova secured bronze just another point behind.

In the senior divisions still to come on day two, Germany defended its place in Itsutsu-no-Kata. Soenke Schillig and Johannes Christoph Kroeger retained their title, while Germany also took silver through Ursula Loosen and Wolfgang Dax Romswinkel. Portugal’s Pedro Gonçalves and Jorge Fernandes earned bronze.

Italy saved its final highlight for Koshiki-no-Kata. Enrico Tommasi and Mauro Collini took gold with 507.5 points, ahead of Germany’s Ursula Loosen and Wolfgang Dax Romswinkel and the Netherlands’ Peter Goossens and Jelle van Roosendaal. For Tommasi, the win was especially meaningful after 17 years in kata, as it brought his first European gold medal.

That ending said everything about Sarajevo 2026: Italy led the table, but the full picture was a continental one, with strong performances from across Europe and a weekend packed with close scores, technical detail and big emotional payoffs.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union