Maria Karagiannopoulou turns Olympic memories into a new mission in Tbilisi

Maria Karagiannopoulou is no longer competing, but her connection to elite judo still shapes the next generation. The Greek judoka appeared at two Olympic Games, fought at seven senior world championships and spent years on the highest circuit. One of the defining moments of that journey came in Athens 2004, twelve years after her first Olympic experience in Barcelona.

That home Games brought both frustration and motivation. Karagiannopoulou was drawn against Ryoko Tani in the second round, then had to take the long route through a full repechage system that was very different from today’s format. She battled through several wins and eventually finished fifth, with Julia Matijass taking the bronze medal.

Rather than closing a chapter, that result seems to have deepened her commitment to judo’s values. Karagiannopoulou now leads a judo programme at Tigers Academy Athens, where her focus is on helping children grow through the sport. Her work is built around opportunity, education and the kind of lessons that stay with young athletes far beyond the tatami.

That mission was visible again during the 2026 European Championships in Tbilisi. She travelled from Greece with a group of around 40, mostly children, to join the EJU Kids Camp at the Georgian Judo Federation. The programme offered masterclasses with Gevrise Emane and Varlam Liparteliani, plus the chance to watch athletes up close at the Olympic Palace.

For the Greek group, Tbilisi became more than a competition trip.

The camp also created a genuinely international setting. Children from Ukraine, Greece, Armenia, Romania and Georgia trained together, shared the same space and built friendships through judo. Karagiannopoulou said that even without a common daily language, young judoka understand each other through the sport, and that this creates cooperation and mutual respect.

For many of the children, seeing top athletes in person changed the experience completely. Karagiannopoulou noted that after last year’s EJU Kids Camp in Montenegro, her students returned home with a stronger approach to training. In Tbilisi, that feeling came back again: elite judo was no longer far away, but something they could almost touch.

Source: EJU_News