Finally gold for Yael van Heemst at seventh title attempt

The final block of the U23 European Judo Championships on Saturday in Pila, opened with an electrifying match in the -81kg men’s category. Kote Kapanadze of Georgia faced Italy’s Bright Maddaloni Nosa in a battle of strategy and strong kumi kata. Kapanadze, displaying remarkable control, executed a flawless sode tsurikomi goshi to launch his opponent for a decisive ippon, claiming the U23 European title.

In the women’s -78kg category, it was an all-Dutch final between Yael van Heemst and her teammate Linde Hanstede. Van Heemst, who had secured a bronze in the 2023 championships, showed incredible determination after recovering from two shoulder surgeries in the past year. Taking immediate control, she sealed the victory in just 90 seconds with a powerful driving o uchi gari, earning her first U23 European title. Hanstede, a last-minute addition to the competition, was thrilled with her unexpected silver medal, marking a career milestone. Van Heemst collected seven individual medals at major title tournaments but it was the first time to win a gold medal.

The -70kg final witnessed an intense showdown between reigning Junior World Champion Elena Dengg of Austria and two-time U23 European Champion Samira Bock of Germany. Despite an apparent injury scare early in the contest, Bock fought through to golden score. Dengg’s persistence paid off as she initiated an o soto gari and followed up with a ko soto gari, securing her victory and a new title. For Bock, it marked her third consecutive U23 European final appearance, underlining her consistency and grit.

In the -90kg division, Mihail Latisev of Moldova put on a stellar performance in front of members of the Moldovan Judo Federation, including president Andrei Golban. Facing Ian van Herk of the Netherlands in the final, Latisev delivered a dynamic drop seoi nage to clinch the gold, a moment of pride for Moldova as they celebrated their champion. The anticipation for next year’s championships in Moldova was already building, promising more unforgettable judo action and a title for Latisev.

The men’s -100kg final saw Slovakia’s Viktor Adam and Lars Vissers of the Netherlands engage in a grueling golden score match. With no clear leader throughout, Vissers broke the deadlock with a creative technique, combining kata guruma and sumi gaeshi element, to score a decisive waza ari. It was a golden moment for Vissers, mirroring the success of his teammate Van Heemst, as he moved from last year’s bronze to this year’s title.

In the women’s +78kg category, Yuli Alma Mishiner of Israel and Diana Semchenko of Ukraine found themselves in a prolonged stalemate. After nearly four minutes of golden score, Semchenko received her third shido, handing Mishiner the victory. For Ukraine’s Oxana Diacenco, it was a bittersweet result as she collected her third consecutive U23 European bronze medal, matching Bock’s consistent podium presence.

The tournament concluded with the +100kg men’s final, a thrilling matchup between Poland’s Grzegorz Teresinski and Georgia’s Irakli Demetrashvili. With the home crowd roaring for Teresinski, it was Demetrashvili who silenced the arena with a spectacular ashi guruma, earning him the title and improving on his silver medal finish from last year.

As the curtains closed on an extraordinary event, the anticipation for next year’s championships in Moldova was already building, promising more unforgettable judo action.