The second day of the European Championships Tbilisi 2026 saw the host nation surge up the medal table as two of Georgia’s heroes claimed gold medals. With only 3 golds on offer on Friday 17th April, in the -57 kg, -63 kg and -73 kg categories, this was a huge swing in the run of play. However, France had a tough lead to chase having won 4 medals, including 2 gold, on day 1.
At -63 kg, 2024 world champion Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) dominated proceedings. In her final, against Manon Deketer (FRA), she spent less than a minute on the mat including an osaekomi for the full 20 seconds. In fact, Van Lieshout won three out of her four contests similarly, showing consistency and commitment in ne-waza.
Joanne Van Lieshout on her way to gold.
At -57 kg, a shock defeat at the hands of Acelya Toprak (GBR) sent double Olympic medallist Sarah-Leonie Cysique into the repechage. Cysique was likely to have been Georgian world champion Eteri Liparteliani’s opposition in the final, as the number two seed, but it wasn’t to be.
Timna Nelson-Levy eventually took up that mantle. She gave Liparteliani a very hard time indeed, leading the fight by a yuko from the first minute. It took the Georgian until the last 20 seconds to find her moment but she did it in style, throwing for ippon with a massive sasae-tsri-komi-ashi to claim her first senior European title. Georgia had their first gold of the championship!
Eteri Liparteliani (GEO), European champion.
At -73 kg were some of the biggest names of the sport, red and gold backaches both on show. No less than three Olympic champions were in play: Georgia’s own Lasha Shavdatuashvili (London 2012), Italy’s Fabio Basile (Rio 2016) and Azerbaijan’s Hidayat Heydarov (Paris 2024). Gaba (FRA) arrived with the red backnumber, looking to add the continental title to his ever-growing list of achievements. However, he and Basile would leave Tbilisi with nothing, Basile losing in the first round and Gaba getting beaten by his 20-year-old teammate Dayyan Boulemtafes for bronze.
Gaba out!
The final was a battle for the ages, more than nine minutes of masterful gripping and tactical awareness, an enthralling spectacle. Shavdatuashvili had the whole crowd behind him but Heydarov was not there by accident and gave it everything he had. Going into what was to be the last minute, each fighter had picked up two penalties and so the danger was real; any mistake would be costly.
Shavdatuashvili, boosted by home soil energy and support from his coach Lasha Gujejiani, found a new gear and began to attack furiously. Heydarov had to accept his third penalty and so thirteen years after his first and only European gold, Shavdatuashvili won his second. This was a massive moment for him and for Georgia. What an immense career!
Two golds could have seen Georgia jump to the top of the leaderboard but France’s silver and two bronze medals on day two saw them safe in the top spot but Georgia was now in hot pursuit and at the end of the first of the two middleweight days were in second place. Day 3 would bring Bekauri and Maisuradze to the tatami and so nothing was decided just yet!
Tune in to JudoTV on Saturday 18th April to stay up-to-date with all the action, results and standings.