Yali Yahav Stops Georgian Charge to Take Cadet European -52 kg Crown

Yali Yahav was the athlete who changed the story of the -52 kg category on day two of the “Millennium Team” European Judo Championships Cadets 2026 in Gran Canaria. In a draw packed with seeded names and early expectations, the Israeli judoka stayed sharp through the key moments and finished the day with Cadet European gold.

The final block opened with the -52 kg medal contests, and much of the early attention was on top seed Mariam Guliashvili of Georgia. Ranked world number eight, she began with clear authority and looked ready to deliver on that status. But the category turned suddenly in the quarter-finals, where her run was stopped by teammate Salome Merkviladze.

That result gave Georgia a strong route into the later stages, with Merkviladze carrying the nation’s hopes into the semifinals. For a moment, it looked as if the Georgian team might still control the category despite the fall of its top seed. Then Yahav stepped in and shut that door.

Her semifinal against Merkviladze was the performance that broke the Georgian push for the title. By defeating the last Georgian contender left in the race for gold, Yahav removed the final obstacle between herself and a shot at the top of the podium. It was a decisive moment in the category and one that changed the entire mood of the contest.

Yahav took over when the pressure in the draw was at its highest.

Waiting for her in the final was Ukraine’s Kseniia Kyrylchuk, who had built one of the toughest paths of the day. Kyrylchuk had already produced major results earlier in the competition, eliminating number three seed Alexandra Chiron of Moldova and number two seed Vivien Vadovicova of Slovakia. That made the final more than a meeting of two survivors. It became a clash between an athlete who had ended Georgia’s hopes and another who had cut through the seeded field.

From a European perspective, Kyrylchuk’s run stood out strongly. The Ukrainian fought her way into the gold medal contest by taking down two of the highest-ranked names left in her section, proving both resilience and competitive nerve. Even without the title, reaching the final after that route marked her as one of the category’s standout performers.

Still, the day belonged to Yahav. In a weight class that began with confidence around the top seed and then twisted through an all-Georgian quarter-final upset, she was the one who stayed in control of the biggest moments. By the end of the session, she had not only beaten the semifinal threat but also come through the final to claim the Cadet European title in Gran Canaria.

It was a reminder of how quickly cadet-level judo can shift. Rankings and seedings matter, but once the contest starts, timing, composure and one big performance can rewrite everything.

Source: EJU.net