Hodson and Ayre Secure 5th Place Finishes at Junior European Championships
September 04, 2025
It’s been a strong opening day at the 2025 Junior European Championships in Bratislava, with Charlie Ayre (-60kg) and Lola Hodson (-52kg) both securing 5th-place finishes.
Seeded seventh in his division and competing for the first time since winning gold at the 2025 Birmingham Junior European Cup, Charlie Ayre (Tees Valley JC) began his campaign in the Round of 16 against Turkey’s Berkay Aydin. Ayre looked sharp from the start and sealed victory just over two minutes in, scoring his second waza-ari to progress.
He then faced familiar rival Kelvin Ray of France, who he defeated in Birmingham to claim gold. This time, however, it was the Frenchman who came out on top, edging a narrow contest by yuko.
In the repechage, Ayre had the chance to battle his way back into medal contention. Trailing by a single yuko as the final seconds ticked away, he produced a dramatic finish — throwing Slovakia’s Jozef Tomanek for ippon with just two seconds remaining, an incredible highlight that kept his bronze medal hopes alive.
In the final block, Ayre was drawn against another French opponent in Zacharie Dijol — a former Junior European bronze medallist who has stood on the podium at each of his last four competitions. Despite a spirited performance from Ayre, it was Dijol who claimed the win on this occasion.
It was a strong showing from the -60kg judoka, once again proving he belongs among Europe’s best and marking another important step on his journey.
Seeded fifth in the -52kg category, Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy) opened her campaign in the Round of 16 against Slovakia’s Masa Slavinec. After falling behind by two yukos, she showed great composure to respond with a waza-ari and held firm for the final minute to secure a confident opening win.
In the quarter-final, Hodson faced Italy’s Ilaria Finestrone in a tense contest. Both judoka picked up two early shidos, and with the bout finely balanced, it was the Italian who struck in the closing moments, winning by ippon and sending Hodson into the repechage.
There, she met France’s Alyssia Poulange in a gruelling battle that pushed nearly six minutes into golden score. Hodson’s persistence paid off, as her opponent collected a third shido, sending the British judoka into the bronze medal contest.
In the fight for bronze, Hodson delivered another spirited performance but was ultimately denied a podium finish by Serbia’s Bojana Savid.
It was a fantastic effort from Hodson, showcasing her heart, resilience, and ability to go toe-to-toe with the very best in her division.
Chloe Link (Relentless Judo) was also in action in the -57kg category. Despite a strong effort in her opening contest, she was eliminated in the Round of 32 by Hungary’s Noemi Varadi.
Congratulations to all three of our competitors on a great opening day of the competition.
