Tbilisi erupts as Eteri Liparteliani delivers a landmark for Georgia

Eteri Liparteliani turned the -57 kg event at the 2026 European Senior Championships in Tbilisi into a historic moment for Georgian judo. The 26-year-old captured her first senior European title and, according to the source, became the first Georgian female judoka ever to win European gold.

That alone would have been special, but doing it at home made it even bigger. The report states that she also became the first Georgian to take this title on home soil, giving the crowd in Tbilisi a result to celebrate far beyond one final.

The gold-medal run was not simple. Liparteliani said herself that every opponent was strong, and the final against Israel’s Timna Nelson Levy put her under real pressure when she first went behind by a yuko.

Home support and belief carried Liparteliani through a tense final.

Even with that setback, she stayed convinced the title would be hers. She said she never thought for a minute that she could lose, and that confidence helped her turn the match around and finish on top of the European podium.

Liparteliani was already a major figure in Georgian women’s judo before this event. The source identifies her as the reigning World Champion, and this European title adds another breakthrough to a career that has already changed what is possible for women’s judo in Georgia.

There was also a clear emotional edge to the victory. She thanked the spectators in Tbilisi and said their support made her better and stronger, a detail that underlined how closely athlete and crowd seemed connected on this final day.

From a European perspective, this was more than a home triumph. It was a milestone for a leading judo nation of the continent, with Liparteliani pushing Georgian women’s judo into new territory at one of the biggest events on the calendar.

Source: EJU_News