Riga’s first day sparks: Cvjetko’s control, Boecker’s breakthrough, Vardanian’s statement

The European Judo Tour touched down in Latvia again on Saturday, 21 March, with the Riga Senior European Cup 2026 opening at the Rīgas Nacionālā Sporta Manēža. Day one already delivered those moments that make a long season feel worth it, led by standout performances from Nina Cvjetko (CRO), Florian Boecker (GER) and Narek Vardanian (SWE).

In women’s -63kg, Cvjetko looked in charge from her first step onto the tatami. The Croatian athlete won all three of her contests, cutting through a field that included Iia Kuchava (UKR) and Naemi Jaworowski (SWE). There was no sense of panic at any stage—just steady pressure and clean decision-making.

Cvjetko turned a tight final into a finish in seconds.

The final against Sweden’s Vilda Backlund swung just after the two-minute mark. Cvjetko scored Waza-ari with a powerful harai-maki-komi and immediately transitioned into groundwork, sealing the win with osae-komi. Afterwards, she framed the result as a personal challenge she was proud to meet, underlining how focus in judo can’t drop even for a moment.

The celebration also had a family spotlight: her sister Jana Cvjetko secured bronze in -70kg. For Nina, there’s no time to drift, either—her next stop is the European Senior Cup in Croatia, a competition she’s already looking forward to.

On the men’s side, Germany had a headline of its own. Florian Boecker struck gold in -66kg, earning the first European Judo Tour medal of his career. His route wasn’t simple, and he pointed to the semi-final—against a team-mate he called an extremely strong opponent—as the toughest exam of the day. Getting through it seemed to unlock the confidence he needed to go all the way.

Boecker finally stepped onto a European Tour podium—and it was the top step.

Meanwhile, Sweden’s Narek Vardanian, the 2025 Junior European silver medallist, was electric in men’s -73kg. In a category featuring 40 judoka, he capped the day by defeating top seed Vlad Mitru (MDA) in the final.

Competition continues on Sunday, 22 March, with more weight categories, and the action can be watched live on JudoTV.

Source: EJU_News