Junior European Championships Round Up
The Junior European Championships drew to a close today. Five GB judoka were in action over the past three days with Tatum Keen’s 5th place finish the highlight for GB Judo.
The opening day saw two women compete in the -52kg category. Tatum Keen (Club: Bradley Stoke; Coach: Pete Douglas) entered seeded 8th and following an opening round bye defeated Alessia Tortorici (ITA) by ippon score to set up a Quarter-Final contest against World Number one Chloe Deketer (FRA).
Defeat to the World Junior silver medallist saw Keen progress to the Repechage where victory against Nicole Stakhov (GER), following the German being awarded three shidos, booked Keen’s place in the bronze medal contest.
Alya De Carvalho (FRA) stood between Keen and a bronze medal. The pair previously met in the opening round of the World Junior Championships last month, where De Carvalho won by a waza-ari score. With nothing between the two the bronze medal contest entered Golden Score where the French fighter countered a Keen attack to register a waza-ari score and win bronze, meaning Keen had to settle for 5th.
Elsewhere on the opening day, Charlotte Jenman (Tonbridge JC; Ben Urban), who was making her junior GB debut, defeated Ilayda Merve Kocyigit (TUR) in the opening round before a second-round defeat to De Carvalho.
On day two Simone Cross (Camberley JC, Luke Preston) was defeated by Karla Kulic (CRO) in the opening round of the -70kg category after picking up a 3rd shido. Following an opening round bye, Ethan Nairne (Bradley Stoke; Pete Douglas) was defeated by Vladyslav Kazimirov (UKR) by waza-ari score in round two.
Ryan Rijksen-Salman (Bradley Stoke; Pete Douglas) was the sole GB Judo competitor on the final day. Competing in the -90kg category Rijksen-Salman defeated Peter Kenderesi (HUN) by ippon score in the opening round before a second round defeat to Ivan Kutenkov (UKR).
Ammi Takahashi (Jo Crowley; Ealing JC) was due to compete on the opening day in the -57kg category, but unfortunately was a late withdrawal due to illness.
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