Poznań turns into a European showcase as Poland piles up medals and Tomankova takes her comeback gold

Day two of the Poznań Junior European Cup 2026 kept the arena buzzing, and Poland made sure the home crowd had plenty to celebrate. The hosts added two silvers and six bronzes, reinforcing the sense that their junior pipeline isn’t just talented—it’s deep, organised, and ready across multiple categories.

At -48kg, Poland struck early through sheer persistence. Sandra Walendzik and Natasza Potok both battled their way to bronze. The gold, however, went to Slovakia’s Patricia Tomankova, who looked calm and confident as she moved through the bracket. Afterwards, she made it clear this win carried extra weight: recent tournaments had gone against her, and this medal felt like the moment her belief clicked back into place.

In -48kg, composure was the difference when it mattered most.

Poland stayed on the podium in -57kg as well, with Emilia Bielawska and Marika Moś taking bronze. Both showed the kind of resilience you need on a long day—staying sharp, making smart choices, and closing out the matches that decide medals.

Another big run for the hosts came at -81kg. Szymon Brzuszczyński advanced to the final with an assured series of contests and finished with silver, a strong statement in a competitive field. The heavier divisions brought more Polish hardware: Mateusz Wacko earned bronze at -100kg, and at +100kg Poland landed a double podium, with Anton Khavhatryan taking bronze and Daniel Chmielewski reaching the final for silver.

Lithuania delivered one of the day’s most dramatic endings in -90kg. Tajus Baibaicenko grabbed gold in the closing seconds, scoring a yuko when both athletes were visibly exhausted. He credited a move he practises constantly in training, using timing and a bit of deception to find the opening. Seoi-nage—especially ippon seoi-nage—remains central to his style, but he also underlined that at this level you must be able to attack with more than one option.

Poznań isn’t done yet: a three-day training camp follows, with many delegations staying on site before the next European Junior Cup on 11–12 April in Lignano.

Source: EJU_News