Van Lieshout turns the -63 kg final into a lightning finish

The -63 kg final in Tbilisi was over almost before it had time to settle. Joanne Van Lieshout of the Netherlands faced France’s Manon Deketer, but the decisive action came in the very first meaningful exchange. With that, the 2024 world champion added her first senior European title.

Deketer started exactly as expected, attacking the grip with intent and bringing her usual aggression. Van Lieshout stayed sharp, found the counter for yuko and flowed straight into a hold. Ippon followed immediately, ending the contest at remarkable speed.

It was a champion’s response to a high-pressure moment. Van Lieshout carried the expectation through the day and then removed all doubt in an instant. The final did not last long, but it said a lot about her timing and composure.

Van Lieshout needed only one clear opening.

The bronze medal matches also delivered strong European stories. Croatia’s Iva Oberan dealt well with the proactive style of Slovenia’s Kaja Kajzer, controlling the pace and positioning from early on. She scored first and later countered an O-uchi-gari attempt for Waza-ari to secure her first continental medal.

The other bronze bout brought together Italy’s Carlotta Avanzato and Poland’s Angelika Szymanska. It stayed tight deep into the contest, with penalties for gripping infringements adding tension. Then, with only seconds left, Szymanska applied a Juji-gatame that could not be escaped and finished for Ippon.

That result gave Poland a bronze medal and brought Szymanska the second senior European medal of her career. In the end, the category belonged to European names from top to bottom, but Van Lieshout stood tallest. Her final was brief, ruthless and impossible to ignore.

Source: EJU_News