Horne wins his 7th European title, Sanchez her 6th one in the row in Porec. In these European championships (May 18-23), many athketes win their 1st title, like Sofuoglu (Kata) who beat Quintero, the world champion Zaretska, Turkish Hocaoglu and Ukrainian Horuna.
By Florian Fournier
Photos : D.R
-60kg: The European title and the OQT for Samdan
By becoming European champion, the Turkish Eray Samdan is making a double blow as he will take part in the OQT in Paris in June (11-13). This title allows him to gain the upper hand over his compatriot Burak Uygur (-67kg).
Final : Samdan (Tur) b. Kalnins (Lat), 5-0
Bronze : Ogannisian (Rus) b. Greco, 9-1 / Xenos (Gre) b. Haas (Ger), 5-1
1. Samdan (Tur)
2. Kalnins (Lat)
3. Ogannisian (Rus) / Xenos (Gre)
-67kg: Premier for Xenos
Greece’s Dionysios Xenos concludes his formidable croatian stay with a victory at the European Championships. Having a very good qualifying round, the Greek becomes European champion for the first time and can dream of the OQT in Paris.
In a classic fight, the French world champion Steven Da Costa won 1-0 against Turkish Burak Uygur.
Final : Xenos (Gre) b. Plakhutin (Rus), 1-0
Bronze : Da Costa (Fra) b. Uygur (Tur), 1-0 / Pokorny (Aut) b. Berak (Cro), 3-2
- Xenos (Gre)
Plakhutin (Rus)
3. Pokorny (Aut) / Da Costa (Fra)
-75kg: Horuna European champion
He's been waiting for it for a long time, he has it. Ukrainian Stanislav Horuna becomes European champion for the first time in his career. By winning 3-1 with a splendid Ura Mawashi Geri Jodan over Rafael Aghayev with 6 seconds remaining, he added another line to his record. The two men could meet at the same stage in a few months in the final of the Olympics.
Finale : Horuna (Ukr) b. Aghayev, 3-1
Bronze : Bitsch (Ger) b. Hodzic (Mne), 3-0 / Garibovic (Cro) b. Petersen (Ned), 3-1
1. Horuna (Ukr)
2. Aghayev (Aze)
3. Bitsch (Ger) / Garibovic (Cro)
-84kg: Aktas in gold before the Olympics
By winning his 4th European title, Ugur Aktas is full of confidence before the Olympic Games. The Turkish seems to be in full control of his subject and will be a very serious candidate for the Olympic title in Tokyo.
Final : Aktas (Tur) b. Abdullayev (Aze), 2-1
Bronze : Martina (Ita) vs Muhovic (Bih) 1-0 / Gyurik (Svk) vs Kvesic (Cro) 3-1
1. Aktas (Tur)
2. Abdullayev (Aze)
3. Gyurik (Svk) / Martina (Ita)
+ 84kg : King Horne 7th
Germany’s Jonathan Horne wins his 7th individual continental title. Without trembling, he defeated Serbian Bitevic in the final 2-0 with Mawashi Geri Shudan coming out of clinch. We should also note the medal of the Greek Tzanos (+ 84kg) who won a new European medal in a third category after his medals in -75kg and -84kg.
Finale : Horne (Ger) b. Bitevic (Srb), 2-0
Bronze : Tzanos (Gre) vs Gebka (Pol) 1-0 / Nishevci (Kos) vs Gurbanli (Aze) 1-0
1. Horne (Ger)
2. Bitevic (Srb)
3. Nishevci (Kos) / Tzanos (Gre)
Kata: Sofuoglu beats Quintero !
On his way to a 7th European title, Spanish Damian Quintero was stopped in the final by Turkish Ali Sofuoglu. Author of a powerful and dynamic Gojushiho sho, the Turk was strong from the beginning to the end with an impressive thirst for victory.
Applied and expressive as usual, Quintero and his Anan Daï failed to get the upper hand over the Turk who achieves a real feat.
Final : Sofuoglu (Tur) b. Quintero (Spa) 27.24 – 27.06
Bronze : Ujihara (Swi) b. Smorguner (Ger), 25.6 – 24.94 / Busato (Ita) b. Heydarov (Aze), 25.6 – 23.4
1. Quintero (Spa)
2. Sofuoglu (Tur)
3. Ujihara (Swi) / Busato (Ita)
Female
-50kg : Ozcelik wins a 5th title
It was certainly her last European championships. Turkish Serap Ozcelik wins her 5th European title. In a unspectacular final, she wins at the decision 3-2 against German Hubrich.
Final : Ozcelik (Tur) b. Hubrich (Ger), 0-0
Bronze : Recchia (Fra) b. Perfetto (Ita), 1-1/ Kyvra (Ukr) b. Milivojcevic (Srb), 5-0
1. Ozcelik (Tur)
2. Hubrich (Ger)
3. Recchia (Fra) / Kyvra (Ukr)
-55kg: Chernysheva smiles, Messerschmidt cries
If she won at these European Championships, Jana Messerschmidt could be qualified directly for the Olympics. But the German failed in the final and was defeated 3-0 by Russia's Chernysheva who claimed her first European title.
Final : Chernysheva (Rus) b. Messerschmidt (Ger), 3-0
Bronze : Maksimovic (Mne) b. Cardin (Ita) 1-0 / Sharykhina (Blr) b. Gasimova (Aze), 5-3
1. Chernysheva (Rus)
2. Messerschmidt (Ger)
3. Maksimovic (Mne) / Sharykhina (Blr)
-61kg: Unstoppable Prekovic
Winner of the last K1 in Lisbon where she impressed everyone, the Serbian reigning world champion Prekovic continues her harvest of medals by winning these European championships. On the French side, Leila Heurtault left with bronze thanks to her success over Germany’s Miggou (3-1).
Final : Prekovic (Ser) b. Serogina (Ukr), 2-0
Bronze : Heurtault (Fra) b. Miggou (Ger) 3-1 / Coban (Tur) b. Suchankova (Svk), Coban disqualified
1. Prekovic (Ser)
2. Serogina (Ukr)
3. Heurtault (Fra) and Suchankova (Svk)
-68kg Zarestka on the gong
In an uncertain final until the end, Azerbaijani Irina Zaretska won 3-0 with Ushiro-Ura mawashi geri jodan scored in the final second which was validated by the video. This world-class gesture allows her to get her first European title.
Final : Zaretska (Aze) b. Panetsidou (Gre), 3-0
Bronze : Eltemur (Tur) vs Cavar (Kos), 3-0 / Pedersen (Den) vs Agier (Fra) 1-1
1. Zaretska (Aze)
2. Panetsidou (Gre)
3. Eltemur (Tur) and Pedersen (Den)
+ 68kg Hocaoglu wins her 1st title
This is the double blow of these European Championships. Turkish Meltem Hocaoglu won her 1st European Championship title and qualifies at the same time for the Olympic Games.
Final : Hocaoglu (Tur) b. Stubleva (Bul), 1-0
Bronze : Chatziliadou (Gre) b. Orana (Kos) 5-0 / Bruederlin (Swi) b. Ferracuti (Ukr) 3-2
1. Hocaoglu (Tur)
2. Stubleva (Bul)
3. Chatziliadou (Gre) and Bruederlin (Swi)
Kata: 6 in a row for Sanchez
Great favorite of the competition, Spain's Sandra Sanchez won her 6th consecutive European title. Two months before the Olympics, the world No.1 appeared in great shape. It feels well for her future.
Final : Sanchez (Spa) b. Bozan (Tur), 27.2 – 25.76
Bronze : Bottaro (Ita) b. Feracci (Fra), 26.08 – 25.06 / Miskova (Cze) b. Juettner (Ger), 25.74 -25.06
1. Sanchez (Spa)
2. Bozan (Tur)
3. Bottaro (Ita) / Miskova (Cze)
