Nikola Radanov’s explosive final flips the -66 kg script

Nikola Radanov produced the breakthrough story of the -66 kg division at the European Cadet Judo Championships. In a weight class packed with 40 judoka, the Serbian athlete turned a difficult draw into a title-winning run capped by a dramatic final against top seed Tom Simkhaev of Israel.

From the start, this category looked wide open but brutally demanding. Reaching the podium meant surviving multiple high-level contests, and Simkhaev appeared to be doing exactly what a world number one is supposed to do. The Israeli moved through Pool A with authority, defeating Nathan Gbingbehi of France, Yacine Gabayev of Belgium and Dawid Wisniewski of Poland to secure his place in the semi-finals.

There, Simkhaev continued his strong form by overcoming Azerbaijan’s Ilkin Garayev. On the opposite side of the draw, second seed Itamar Cohen, also representing Israel, advanced as expected and seemed on course to set up an all-Israeli final. That plan lasted only until he ran into Radanov.

Radanov had already become one of the stories of the day by reaching the final block, but his semi-final win over Cohen changed the entire mood of the competition. Suddenly, the tournament favorite was no longer heading toward a familiar finish. Instead, the gold medal match became a meeting between the safest pick in the field and the athlete nobody could ignore anymore.

One upset changed the whole feel of the category.

The final began at full speed. Radanov picked up an early penalty, and the pressure increased immediately. Simkhaev responded like a top seed, attacking sharply and striking within the first 30 seconds with Uchi-mata to score yuko and move ahead.

At that moment, it would have been easy for the underdog story to end. Instead, the Serbian reacted with total conviction. Just 20 seconds later, Radanov took over the exchange and fired in a fast left-sided ko-uchi-makikomi that sent Simkhaev over with serious force.

The sequence was so quick and so sudden that Simkhaev initially believed he had countered and scored himself. But after a formal referee review, the score was awarded to Radanov. It was the decisive moment of the final, and the kind of action that instantly changes a tournament narrative.

Radanov answered pressure with pure commitment.

What made the finish stand out was not only the technique, but the timing. Radanov had just fallen behind against the number one seed, on the biggest stage of his day, and still found the confidence to attack decisively. That response delivered one of the clearest underdog moments of the event.

For Serbia, it was a memorable result built on courage and precision. For everyone watching the -66 kg competition unfold, Radanov’s run was a reminder of why cadet judo can be so compelling: one opening, one fearless attack, and the entire field suddenly looks different.

Source: EJU.net