Tbilisi’s first day brings a new spotlight — and Europe has plenty of names ready to grab it

Tbilisi opens without the familiar day-one gold story from last year, because world champion Eteri Liparteliani is not competing this time. That absence shifts the emotional weight to Georgia’s Temur Nozadze in U66kg, a proven Tbilisi performer with wins here in 2021 and 2022 and a final last year. The arena will still have its usual first-day electricity, but the storyline feels more open.

Friday 20 March features women’s U48kg, U52kg and U57kg, plus men’s U60kg and U66kg. Across those divisions, European athletes aren’t just filling brackets — several arrive as seeds, medal threats, and potential scene-stealers from the very first round.

Men’s U60kg is a 32-man puzzle, and world number one Michel Augusto comes in with motivation after missing the podium in Paris and ending seventh in Tashkent. Europe’s danger man is Belgium’s Jorre Verstraeten, a former Grand Slam winner who knows how to turn tight fights into wins when the pressure climbs.

U66kg is even deeper with 37 competitors. Finland’s Luukas Saha starts as top seed, backed by his 2024 world championship bronze and a clear rise on the circuit. Spain’s David García Torne brings proven Grand Slam credibility, while the local focus stays glued to Nozadze, whose style and experience make him Georgia’s best early chance to lift the crowd.

Europe has real momentum on the opening day, not just hopeful entries.

On the women’s side, Sweden’s Tara Babulfath headlines U48kg with a rapidly growing résumé: Olympic bronze in Paris 2024, world bronze in Abu Dhabi the same year, and a Grand Slam title in Baku. In U52kg, Hungary’s Reka Pupp stands out for sheer reliability, carrying three Olympic appearances and a long list of Grand Slam medals. U57kg adds more European bite with Croatia’s Ana Viktorija Puljiz, Serbia’s Marica Perišić, and France’s Martha Fawaz, who is entering the conversation after recent podium success.

One clean moment can rewrite a whole day in Tbilisi.

The promise is simple: a loud Georgian crowd, stacked categories, and European contenders positioned to challenge early. Whether Nozadze can deliver that home spark without Liparteliani may still be the day’s heartbeat — but Europe is lining up to spoil the script.

Source: JudoInside