Distria Krasniqi Secures Fourth European Judo Title in Tbilisi

European Judo Union officials confirmed Thursday that Kosovar judoka Distria Krasniqi captured her fourth European Championships title in the women’s -52kg division, defeating French rival Amandine Buchard in the final held in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The victory marks Krasniqi’s continued dominance in European judo, adding to her previous titles from 2021, 2024, and 2025. Speaking after the match, the 30-year-old athlete emphasized the growing challenge of maintaining elite status.

“To repeat as a champion four times, is harder I think than to win for the first time,” Krasniqi said, according to EJU reports. “I’m very happy that after I took all medals every athlete can dream of, I still managed to be on the top and I am a European champion again.”

The final against Buchard, a two-time European Champion, presented a familiar challenge for Krasniqi, who has faced her French counterpart multiple times at the continental level. “For the final I was very calm and I knew how to fight, I knew my strategy,” Krasniqi explained. “I worked with my coach in training for her [Buchard] and for all my other opponents but I knew that she [Buchard] will come in the final because for me she’s one of the best in Europe, too in the whole world for Judo.”

Krasniqi’s path to gold included overcoming what she described as “a very hard day” where she wasn’t “on my best trade” but still managed to secure the victory. “It means a lot to me and I feel amazing,” she said about winning. “It was a very hard day. I wasn’t on my best trade but I still managed to take a medal so I am very happy to take gold.”

The triumph in Tbilisi adds to Krasniqi’s impressive résumé, which includes Olympic medals in both the -48kg and -52kg weight classes. She won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the -48kg division before moving up to -52kg, where she earned silver at the Paris 2024 Games.

Beyond European success, Krasniqi has established herself as a consistent presence on the world stage. According to her competitive record, she holds World Championship medals from 2019 (-48kg bronze), 2022 (-52kg bronze), and is set to compete at the 2025 World Championships in Budapest in the -52kg category.

When asked about motivation after achieving nearly every major honor in judo, Krasniqi pointed to the ongoing pursuit of excellence. “It motivates me a lot,” she said. “Everyone keeps asking me, how do you find motivation? But I love Judo, I love the competition feeling and this is what keeps me in this sport. And of course, when this is all paid off with medals, gold medals or all kinds of medals, it motivates me a lot to keep going.”

The EJU highlighted the significance of the Krasniqi-Buchard rivalry in their coverage, noting that “in the final of the 52 kilogram category, it was old rivals Krasniqi and Buchard, who gave an elite spectacle, a performance of the highest level of judo.”

Looking ahead, Krasniqi’s competitive schedule includes upcoming appearances on the International Judo Federation World Tour, with events scheduled in Paris and Abu Dhabi later in 2026 as part of her preparation for future championship competitions.

For continued updates on Distria Krasniqi’s judo career and other European judo developments, fans can follow the European Judo Union’s official channels and competition results.

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