Özbas blocks out the noise and stays on top in Tbilisi

Szofi Özbas delivered one of the standout European stories of the day at the Senior European Judo Championships in Tbilisi. The Hungarian judoka defended her title on Saturday, beating rising French contender Melkia Auchecorne in the final. It was the kind of performance that showed not only quality, but also control under pressure.

When she stepped off the tatami, Özbas still seemed to be processing what had happened. She spoke about how quickly the decisive moments came and how hard it was to immediately find words for such a big result. That reaction said a lot: the composure was there during the contest, while the emotion arrived after it.

Özbas turned calm focus into another European title.

Across the day, the Hungarian stayed locked into her own rhythm. She described the competition as flowing positively from the beginning and said she tried to take each contest one by one. There was no sense of rushing, only a steady effort to reset and be fully present for every fight.

A major challenge was dealing with the weight that comes with defending a crown. Özbas explained that one of the hardest parts was not letting last year shape this year. She did not want to lean on past success, but she also refused to be distracted by difficult memories.

That mindset mattered even more in the final. Auchecorne had beaten her in their only previous meeting, at the Grand Prix in Qingdao last September. This time, Özbas approached the match as a fresh start. In her view, judo gives both athletes that chance, and she used it to compete with freedom instead of doubt.

Looking ahead, she is not rushing to set grand targets. For now, Özbas seems more interested in holding on to the feeling that carried her in Tbilisi. On this day, that feeling was enough to keep a European champion exactly where she already was: at the top.

Source: EJU_News