Saturday’s Podgorica Test Brings Deep Junior Fields
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The 2026 Junior European Judo Championships in Podgorica move into day three on Saturday, 5 September, with five categories on the programme. The men’s -90kg, -100kg and +100kg divisions will be joined by the women’s -78kg and +78kg contests.
The men’s -90kg category has a particularly strong list of contenders. Serbia’s Boris Rutovic arrives with major cadet credentials, including 2023 Cadet World and European titles, as well as two European Cup victories this year. He has also made an impact on the World Judo Tour by winning the senior Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam 2026.
Ukraine’s Serhii Sokyrko also brings two European Cup wins from 2026 into Podgorica. Irakli Kavtarashvili, Konstantin Distel, Ademirkan Tambiev, Bulcsu Pinter, Reem Fridman Zilberstein and Abdula Suleimanov have each taken European Cup gold this year, adding further depth to a division with no obvious easy route to the podium.
Tajus Babaicenko is another athlete to watch in the -90kg field. The Lithuanian is a Cadet European champion, the 2025 EYOF Champion and a Cadet World Championships bronze medallist, bringing an already impressive record into junior competition.
The -90kg category is set for a serious battle between proven medal winners.
In the women’s -78kg category, several athletes are looking to transfer their cadet-level success onto the junior stage. Lucie Rullier of France enters as a Cadet World champion, while fellow French judoka Emma Feuillet-Nguimgo has earned Cadet World Championships silver and became a two-time Cadet European champion in 2025.
Türkiye’s Tuana Gulenay combines a Cadet World silver medal with a European title. Xanne van Lijf of the Netherlands has twice claimed Cadet World Championships bronze, while Croatia’s Antea Ajdukovic owns both silver and bronze medals from the Cadet European Championships.
Van Lijf is the only seeded athlete among that decorated group in Podgorica, but the category includes enough established young talent to make the outcome difficult to call. Saturday’s programme offers a chance for the next generation to take a major step forward at the Junior European Judo Championships.
Source: EJU.net
Image source: EJU / European Judo Union