Van Lieshout explodes into European gold in Tbilisi

Joanne van Lieshout delivered one of the sharpest finishes of the day at the European Senior Championships Tbilisi 2026. The Dutch judoka claimed the -63 kg title on Friday, wrapping up the final against France’s Manon Deketer almost before it had fully settled.

The key moment came inside the opening minute. Van Lieshout reacted immediately to a mistake from Deketer and finished the action in ne-waza. It was quick, clean and ruthless, the kind of ending that changes the whole feel of a final in seconds.

She saw the opening and the gold was gone in a flash.

For the 23-year-old, this was a first senior European title. That matters, especially for an athlete who already came into the event as the 2024 World Champion. In Tbilisi, she backed up that status with a full day of confident judo and a final that left no doubt.

Van Lieshout said she felt good throughout the day, and that showed in the way she moved through the competition. The final result was not just about one fast sequence, but about a performance built on control and belief from the first contest to the last.

There is also a bigger European storyline here. The next European Senior Championships are set to take place in the Netherlands, giving van Lieshout an immediate target after this breakthrough. Winning the title now gives extra energy to the idea of defending it at home in Apeldoorn.

This was a final between two European athletes from major judo nations, and van Lieshout made sure the spotlight stayed on the Netherlands. After Tbilisi, she leaves with gold, momentum and the pressure that naturally comes with becoming the athlete everyone will now watch even more closely.

Source: EJU_News