The Road to Sarajevo: HSV Stöckte Judoka Battle for European Championship Berth

The intensity is ramping up in Winsen as the judoka of HSV Stöckte enter a high-stakes push for nomination to the European Kata Championships. With the continental showpiece scheduled for May 16 and 17 in Sarajevo, the athletes are currently navigating a grueling selection process defined by precision, energy, and significant emotional weight.

For the members of HSV Stöckte, the quest for an EM ticket is more than just a qualification exercise; We see a bid to build upon a trajectory of rapid growth that has already seen the club make a mark on the international stage.

Building on the Riga Momentum

The current drive toward Sarajevo is fueled by the memory of a breakthrough performance in Latvia. During the 2025 Kata European Championships in Riga, the club’s representatives, Jette Buchholz and Laurenz Degener, competed in the Nage no kata (the form of throwing) in the U21 category. That event was the largest in the history of the championships, drawing 332 athletes from 22 different nations.

Buchholz and Degener faced an increasingly competitive field but managed to secure a fourth-place finish in Europe. While they narrowly missed the podium, the result signaled a shift in the club’s standing. Coach Carolin Charina Jeromin, who monitored the competition, highlighted the duo’s mental fortitude and ability to maintain concentration under extreme pressure as key drivers of their success.

For those unfamiliar with the discipline, Kata is not a sparring match but a choreographed demonstration of technique. It requires a symbiotic relationship between the Tori (the performer of the technique) and the Uke (the receiver), where every movement is judged on technical accuracy, power, and timing.

The Technical Divide: Nage no Kata vs. Katame no Kata

The pursuit of European excellence at HSV Stöckte spans multiple disciplines within the Kata world. While Buchholz and Degener specialized in the Nage no kata, other club figures have pushed the boundaries in the Katame no kata—often referred to as the “king’s discipline” of the form of control.

The Katame no kata focuses on the mastery of grappling, including pins, chokes, and joint locks. The physical and mental demands are immense, requiring total concentration and instantaneous reaction between partners.

This was evident during the EJU Kata-Tournament in Maintal on October 4, 2025. Carolin Charina Jeromin, teaming with Martin Etter of SVP Hamburg, fought through a field of 20 teams from 10 nations to reach the final six. Their run was only halted by a toe injury sustained on the mat, which forced the duo to withdraw despite their strong showing in the preliminary rounds.

The Stakes for Sarajevo

As the April deadline approaches, the “hard fight” for the EM ticket mentioned in local reports underscores the narrow margins of elite judo. The nomination process is the final hurdle before the athletes can travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The goal is clear: translate the fourth-place finish from Riga and the technical proficiency shown in Maintal into a podium finish in Sarajevo. The club is banking on the continued development of its athletes and the strategic guidance of Jeromin to ensure Winsen is represented among Europe’s elite this May.

The next critical milestone will be the official announcement of the nominations, which will determine which HSV Stöckte athletes will make the trip to Sarajevo. We will provide updates as the final roster is confirmed.

Do you reckon the Riga momentum will carry through to a podium finish in Sarajevo? Let us know in the comments.