The second and final competition day of the Ljubljana European Open 2026 confirmed the international dimension of the tournament – not a single national anthem was played twice, as all seven winners came from different countries.
In the -48 kg category, Spain’s Jana Cid Balcells claimed gold, Italy’s Giulia Ghiglione finished second, while last year’s winner Coralie Gilly of France and Sila Ersin of Türkiye shared the bronze medals.
“This victory means a lot to me because I have just returned to competition after a long-term injury, so it’s really special to come back with a win. The competition was tough with many strong athletes, so I had to stay focused until the very end. I’m truly happy to have won,” said the delighted Spaniard after her victory.
Italy, the most successful nation of this year’s event in Ljubljana, celebrated another gold in the -52 kg category, where last year’s bronze medallist Ilaria Finestrone took the top spot. France’s Alyssia Poulange won silver, while bronze medals went to Italy’s Alice Bersellini and Canada’s Evelyn Beaton.
“In the final I was very tired, almost in tears, but I really wanted the gold medal, so I gave everything I had. I had fought Poulange before and lost, so this was sweet revenge. I competed here last year and finished third, so I’m happy to return and win,” said Finestrone, who had previously lost twice to her final opponent but triumphed this time.
The gold medal in the largest women’s category, -57 kg, went to Brazil thanks to Sarah Souza. Türkiye’s Aysenur Budak finished second, while bronze medals were claimed by the Netherlands’ Pleuni Cornelisse and Slovenia’s Nika Tomc, who once again thrilled the home crowd.
“Of course I’m happy with the medal, although it can always be better. I’m pleased with the result at a home event. It’s different from other competitions because the fans, relatives and friends come to support you and give you extra energy,” said the Slovenian judoka, who won the Junior European Cup in Sarajevo in a higher weight category last weekend.
The key contests for Tomc were the semifinal and the bronze medal bout. “In the semifinal I simply didn’t do what I should have. In the bronze medal match I was already in a losing position, but I kept believing I could turn it around. In my head I was convinced I wouldn’t give up, that I could escape – and I managed to do it,” added the 19-year-old, who received her medal from Olympic champion Tina Trstenjak and emphasized what a great honour that was for her.
Jevgenija Gajić complemented the Slovenian success with a seventh-place finish.
In the -81 kg category, Russia’s Akhmed Turluev claimed gold by defeating Switzerland’s Aurelien Bonferroni in the final. Bonferroni had earlier eliminated Slovenia’s Nace Herkovič in the quarterfinals, with the Slovenian finishing seventh. Bronze medals were won by the USA’s Dominic Rodriguez and the Netherlands’ Joshua De Lange.
In the -90 kg division, gold went to Erlan Sherov of Kyrgyzstan, silver to Russia’s David Karapetyan, and bronze medals to France’s Eniel Caroli and Uzbekistan’s Alisher Samanov.
Slovakia celebrated success in the -100 kg category, where Peter Zilka took gold. Egypt’s Omar Elramly earned silver, while bronze medals went to Uzbekistan’s Mukhammadali Tangriev and Slovakia’s Benjamin Mataseje.
“I woke up after a very good night’s sleep, so the day started well, and then I went match by match. The hardest one, as always for me, was the first. Once I found my rhythm, everything flowed,” said the experienced Slovak, who will remember the city where he won his first World Cup gold with fond memories.
In the heavyweight category (+100 kg), Ukraine’s Yakiv Khammo emerged victorious. Croatia’s Mikita Sviryd claimed silver, while bronze medals went to Germany’s Marvin Belz and Türkiye’s Ibrahim Tataroglu.
“I’m very happy with this medal because I haven’t competed for a long time due to injuries, so I’m glad to be back on the right path. The toughest match was definitely the final against Mikita, because he’s my friend and we know each other very well, but in the end experience made the difference,” said the two-time World Championship bronze medallist.
Ljubljana once again proved that it is an important venue not only for European but also for world-class judo. A high level of organization, full stands and dynamic contests ensured an excellent conclusion to the two-day judo spectacle in the Slovenian capital, leaving no one indifferent.
