Warsaw’s European Open is stacked again, with Kropska carrying home hopes

The European Open in Warsaw is back this weekend, and the numbers alone hint at a loud, relentless two-day fight. After Friday evening’s draw, 320 athletes from 27 nations across six continents are in the mix, with 191 men and 129 women entered. Poland’s capital is once again proving it’s not just another stop, but a key stage on the European circuit.

Saturday brings the lighter men’s divisions U60kg, U66kg and U73kg, alongside the women’s U63kg, U70kg, U78kg and +78kg categories. Sunday flips to the remaining men’s weights U81kg, U90kg, U100kg and +100kg, plus women’s U48kg, U52kg and U57kg. It’s a schedule built for momentum swings—and for heartbreak when one mistake ends a run.

The entry lists suggest crowded brackets and narrow margins. Men’s U73kg is the biggest at 46 competitors, followed by U66kg with 39 and U81kg with 35. On the women’s side, U63kg leads with 27 athletes and U70kg has 23, while +78kg counts nine.

Big brackets mean no easy mornings and no comfortable draws.

European teams bring serious depth. Poland has the largest delegation with 55 athletes, and France arrives with 46—numbers that instantly shape the medal conversation. Spain (27), Germany (26), Italy (25) and the Netherlands (21) also add weight to the field, while Azerbaijan fields 18 and Kazakhstan comes strong with 33.

Last year, France left Warsaw as the top nation with three gold medals, delivered by Astride Gneto, Alya De Carvalho and Grace Esther Mienandi Lahou. Poland also had a memorable event, highlighted by gold for Pawel Drzymal in U81kg and Angelika Szymańska in U63kg. This time, Szymańska won’t be back to defend her title, opening a space that others will be desperate to fill.

The home spotlight falls on Natalia Kropska, named as the highest ranked athlete in the tournament (22). Her résumé goes back to a big 2017: silver at the Cadet World Championships and bronze at the European Cadet Championships. More recently she picked up European Open medals in Gyor in 2024 and in Rome, and she took bronze at the 2025 Grand Slam in Baku—yet Warsaw has remained the one venue where she hasn’t found that podium moment.

Beyond Kropska, Poland’s seeding strength includes Katarzyna Sobierajska, Piotr Kuczera and Grzegorz Teresinski. France brings contenders such as Ophelie Vellozzi and Anais Perrot, while the Netherlands look to Junior World Champion Linde Hanstede competing in U78kg, hoping she can rediscover last year’s sharpness.

With the hosts loaded and France chasing another statement, Warsaw is set for a tense European weekend.

Source: JudoInside