Sofia Kubler, the 20-year-old judoka from Accademia Prato, helped Italy capture bronze in the team competition at the European Under-23 Judo Championships at Palavesuvio in Naples and delivered the first European medal in her club’s history, 0574TempodiSport reported. Kubler, born in 2006, also finished seventh in the individual event, a result that places her firmly among Italy’s most promising young heavyweights.
The bronze came in the mixed team competition, where Kubler fought every match in the +70 kg category and scored a decisive ippon to open the medal-clinching final against Hungary. Italy won that bout 4-1, capping a run that included a 4-2 quarterfinal win over Moldova and a 4-2 semifinal loss to Georgia.
How the two days unfolded at Palavesuvio
The championships took place over the weekend of Oct. 30-31 in Naples, with Italy hosting as the home nation, according to the Italian judo federation FIJLKAM. Kubler was one of 17 athletes on the Italian squad and was entered in the +78 kg class for the individual competition, which featured 11 athletes in her category.
On Oct. 31, Kubler won her opening individual bout but was stopped in the quarterfinals by France’s Mienandi Lahou, according to FIJLKAM. Sent to the repechage, she could not advance to the bronze-medal match and settled for seventh place — a result the federation described as an important one for an athlete of her age that points to a promising future.
The team event brought the breakthrough. Italy defeated Moldova 4-2 to reach the semifinals, where Georgia ended the run with a 4-2 victory, 0574TempodiSport reported. In the bronze-medal final, Kubler’s ippon against Hungary gave the Azzurri an early lead in a 4-1 win that sent the arena into celebration.
What the medal means for Accademia Prato
For the Prato-based club, the result carries weight beyond the podium. Kubler said the European championship was one to remember, thanking Accademia Prato and her coach, Fabio Barni, for the confidence the result gives her. She said the club could now hang the first European medal in the society’s showcase at Via Galcianese, and that she is ready to train with even more sacrifice because she knows she is close to the top.
Kubler’s coach at the club is maestro Fabio Barni, and the bronze in the team event plus the seventh-place individual finish position her solidly among Italy’s strongest and most promising judoka, according to SportdiPrato.
Questions readers are asking about Kubler’s result
- What medals or placings did Sofia Kubler win? She won bronze with the Italian team and finished seventh in the individual +78 kg competition at the European Under-23 Championships in Naples.
- Where and when was the event held? The championships ran Oct. 30-31 at Palavesuvio in Naples, Italy, per FIJLKAM.
- Who coaches Kubler? She trains under maestro Fabio Barni at Accademia Prato in Prato, Tuscany.
- How did Italy’s team fare? Italy beat Moldova 4-2, lost to Georgia 4-2 in the semifinal, then beat Hungary 4-1 for bronze, with Kubler scoring the opening ippon in the final.
The two-day tournament gave Kubler her first taste of a senior-level European stage, and the combination of a team medal and a top-seven individual finish leaves her trajectory pointed upward as she looks toward the senior ranks.
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