Graz Junior European Cup Set for Its Biggest Weekend Yet

The Junior European Judo Cup in Graz is heading into a remarkable edition, with demand rising far beyond what organisers expected. For Judo Austria, the numbers alone have turned this event into one of the standout junior meetings of the season.

A total of 676 entries from 34 nations have been received for the 30-31 May tournament in Graz. That figure moves well past the previous participation record of 511 competitors, set in 2023, and has pushed organisers to book rooms in eight hotels, three more than originally planned.

Even Judo Austria’s leadership was reportedly surprised by the scale of the response. The first international teams, including delegations from Israel, Canada and Turkmenistan, are expected in the Styrian capital on Wednesday, 27 May.

For the home crowd, Austria will bring a team of 51 junior judoka into the fifth edition of the event. Among the seeded Austrian entries, Marlene Schinwald enters at -57 kg ranked seventh, while Helena Rottenhofer is seeded eighth at -63 kg.

That home presence will continue beyond the competition itself. Another 39 Austrian judoka from senior, U23, U21 and U18 levels have registered for the accompanying training camp, giving the overall programme even more weight. The list includes Lisa Grabner, Maria Höllwart, Laura Kallinger, Carina Klaus-Sternwieser, Magdalena Krssakova, Helene Schrattenholzer, Lisa Tretnjak, Daniel Leutgeb, Alexander Kaserer and Ronald Pröll.

Austria’s coaching staff will also be heavily involved on site. Junior coaches Jaromir Jezek and Michael Winkler will be supported by Lisa Dengg, Martin Grafl, national coach Miguel Ogando Lopes, Bela Riesz and Bernhard Weißsteiner.

Graz is not just busy this year, it is overflowing with junior judo talent.

The sporting level looks just as strong as the participation numbers. Two reigning junior world champions are set to compete: Nicole Marques in the -52 kg category and Tornike Gigauri at -66 kg.

The entry list also includes 28 athletes currently ranked inside the junior world top 10. Among them are four junior world number ones: Marques, Gigauri, Laurence Gagnon at -57 kg and Dandaru Camillo at -78 kg.

Some categories are especially crowded. The men’s -81 kg division leads the way with 97 competitors, with -73 kg close behind on 92. In the women’s draw, -63 kg is the biggest category with 52 athletes.

There is also real reason for Austrian optimism based on recent history in Graz. Across the previous four Junior European Cups at the Raiffeisensportpark, Austria has collected 11 medals. Those results include gold medals for Elena Dengg in 2023 and Carina Klaus-Sternwieser in 2024, plus three silver and six bronze medals.

Austria’s best overall performance came in 2023, when the team finished fourth in the medal standings with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals. That result was backed up by one fifth-place and one seventh-place finish, showing how competitive the host nation can be on home tatami.

With record participation, a deep international field and a home team carrying genuine expectations, Graz is shaping up to host its biggest and most competitive Junior European Judo Cup so far.

Source: EJU.net

Image source: EJU / European Judo Union