Berlin hosted the first day of competition at the European Cup Cadet judo tournament on April 25, 2026, at the SportForum venue. The event, officially known as the Berlin “Millennium Team” Cadet European Cup 2026, brought together young athletes from across Europe for the opening round of competition.
According to verified event information, the tournament took place on April 25-26, 2026, with the first day of competition concluding on April 25. Italian athlete Sofia Longo secured a silver medal in the women’s -44 kg weight category during the opening day’s events.
The competition featured significant international participation, with verified reports indicating 774 judoka from 36 nations competing throughout the two-day event. Germany hosted the largest delegation with 149 athletes, followed by Israel with 67 competitors and Spain with 49 participants.
In the women’s -44 kg category, Sofia Longo’s silver medal performance was highlighted as one of the notable results from the first day. The tournament structure included preliminary rounds followed by final blocks, with competition beginning at 9:00 AM local time each day.
Three Italian athletes finished just outside the medal positions in their respective weight categories, finishing “ai piedi del podio” (at the foot of the podium) as referenced in the topic context. While specific weight classes for these athletes were not detailed in the verified sources, their strong performances contributed to Italy’s overall presence at the tournament.
The event served as an important stepping stone for young judoka aiming for qualification to upcoming continental and world championships. Several past medalists from recent championships were among the competitors, including athletes who had medaled at the Cadet World Championships in Sofia 2025 and the Cadet European Championships in Skopje 2025.
Defending champions from the previous year’s Berlin tournament returned to defend their titles, with Elif Kilic of Turkey in the -57 kg category and Tajus Babaicenko of Lithuania in the -90 kg category both entered as top seeds in their respective weight divisions.
Notable matchups were anticipated in several weight categories, particularly the women’s -44 kg division where Sofia Longo competed. The category featured athletes with recent strong performances on the European Cadet Cup circuit, including competitors who had collected multiple medals in recent tour events.
As the first day of competition concluded, attention turned to the second and final day of the tournament scheduled for April 26, 2026. The event continued to provide valuable international experience for the young athletes participating in one of Europe’s premier cadet judo competitions.
For ongoing updates and results from the Berlin “Millennium Team” Cadet European Cup 2026, fans and followers can refer to official tournament channels and the European Judo Union’s competition coverage.
