Teplice is calling: Czech cadets chase home momentum at a packed European Cup

European cadet judo lands in the historic spa town of Teplice this weekend (28–29 March), and the scale is hard to ignore. The Teplice ‘Millennium Team’ European Cup, hosted here since 2008, is set to welcome a huge field: according to the current entry list, 769 athletes from 34 countries are expected to step onto the tatami.

For the Czech team, it’s more than just another stop on the calendar. The hosts arrive with real confidence after picking up 15 medals from the season’s two European Cups so far in Rome and Šamorín, including four gold. Assistant coach Pavel Kytýr still keeps it realistic, warning that Teplice should be the toughest test they’ve faced this year—big in numbers, but even bigger in quality.

A strong home event can turn a promising season into a serious statement.

The spotlight, as head coach and London 2012 Olympian Jaromír Musil points out, should be especially bright in -73 kg. Adam Rusňák comes in as the current world number one and the 2025 Cadet European Championships silver medallist from Skopje. Alongside him is another major home name: Tomáš Otevřel, who took cadet European Championships bronze last year at -66 kg and has already shown he belongs with the elite after moving up. This season he finished third in Rome and struck gold in Šamorín, and in Teplice he will also defend last year’s title from the -66 kg division.

The dream scenario for Czech fans is clear—an all-Czech final at -73 kg—but the path is loaded with danger. The main threats named are world number three Giorgi Mtchedlishvili (GEO) and Estonia’s George Noges (EST), a 2025 European Championships bronze medallist who defeated both Czech athletes in Rome in February.

Another category attracting high expectations is +90 kg, where Melichar Škoda lines up as the winner of this year’s European Cups in Rome and Šamorín. He also carries experience from last year’s Cadet World Championships, where he placed fifth, and he returns to defend his gold from Teplice. On the women’s side, Dominika Gračová is a key Czech medal hope after winning European Cups in Győr and Rome; head coach Andrea Pokorná believes she can challenge for a podium on home soil. Federation president Pavel Volek underlines a bigger goal too: using Teplice to increase the number of judoka meeting qualification criteria for the Cadet European and World Championships. The event will be streamed live on JudoTV.

Source: EJU_News