British Juniors and Cadets Ready for European Action in Kaunas and Berlin

Two large squads of British judoka will head to Lithuania and Germany this weekend to compete at the Kaunas Junior European Cup and the Berlin Cadet European Cup.

Kaunas Junior European Cup 2026

In the -60kg category, Joseph Buchanan (Sportif) makes his first European Cup appearance of 2026, joined by David Gheorghiu (Nippon Club London), who will look to build on a career-best seventh-place finish at the Sarajevo Junior European Cup in February. Coen Gilbert (Sportif) returns to European Cup action for the first time this year, while Wil Jones (Camberley JC) also begins his 2026 campaign, having last competed at the Birmingham Junior European Cup in July 2025.

At -66kg, Alfie Mitchell (Rush Judo) and Steven Rabet (Sportif) both open their 2026 European Cup seasons, while Jacob Shattock (Bacup JC) will be aiming to secure his first European Cup win in his second competition of the year.

The -73kg division promises to be highly competitive, featuring current Junior European Champion and Junior World bronze medallist Irakli Goginashvili (Palavani). He is joined by Joshua Chrisp (Blyth Juno Michi), Eden Heffernan (Pro Judo), Kristian Hill (Rush Judo), and Jack MacLeod (Garioch JC), all hoping to gain valuable experience on the European stage.

Peter Davies (Ealing JC), who reached the quarter-finals at the Móstoles Junior European Cup returns for his third event of the year in the -81kg category, alongside Vasiliy Menshykov (Garioch JC), competing in his second European Cup of 2026.

In the -90kg division, Arad Ghafoorirad (Pro Judo) and Archili Tataru (Palavani) both make their second European Cup appearances of 2026..

At -100kg, Jaden Calder (JC Esprit) arrives in strong form after a seventh-place finish at the Riga Senior European Cup. He is joined by Kevin Gordon (Hibari Kan JC), who claimed silver at this event in 2025, and Gheorghe Tataru (Palavani), who will be aiming to build on his last performance.

Eva Ewing (Edinburgh Judo) is the sole British representative in the -48kg category and will be hoping to build on her fifth-place finish in Sarajevo earlier this year.

A strong British presence lines up at -52kg, with Amelia Alder (Osaka JC), who placed fifth in Kaunas last year, and Kate Chisholm (Judo Sensei London), who is in excellent form with four consecutive top-seven finishes, including silver in Poznan last month. They are joined by Rachael Gray (Destination Judo), Daisy Hodgkinson (Team Bath), and Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy), who has enjoyed an impressive start to the year with medals in Tunis and Poznan.

In the -57kg division, Harriet Jones (Pro Judo) will be aiming for her first placing of the year, while Maddy Kissenisky (East Yorkshire JA), who took fifth in Kaunas in 2025, and Rhea Pinder (Relentless Judo) add further depth to the British lineup.

Bronach Mary McGill (Sportif) competes at -63kg in her first European Cup of the year, while Karina Semete (Tonbridge JC) steps up from cadet level for her junior European Cup debut at -70kg. At -78kg, Nicole Wood (Bishops Stortford JK) will look to continue her outstanding form, having taken silver in Poznan and gold at the Riga Senior European Cup in her last two appearances.

British representation also extends to the refereeing team, with Paul Michael Grady and Stephen Sims selected to officiate.

Berlin Cadet European Cup 2026

Louie Seguin (Tonbridge JC) will be Great Britain’s sole representative in the -50kg category, competing in his fourth European Cup and looking to build on a seventh-place finish last time out.

A strong British lineup features in the -55kg division, with Reece Blackshaw (Penistone JC), who opened his season with a seventh-place finish in Rome, joined by Ishmael Brown (Hardy Spicer 83), Luke Hunter (Jidel Judo 93), Jack Docherty (Pro Judo) and Lewis Rhodes (Wirral JC), all continuing their European campaigns.

At -60kg, James Leroux (Rush Judo) competes in his third European Cup of the year, alongside Stanley Pusey (Micklefield JC), returning to European action for the first time since March 2024, and Michael Richardson (Blyth Juno Michi), in his second European Cup appearance.

In the -66kg category, Pawel Petrosyan (Sakura JC) and Zachary Robbins (Leicester JA) both make their second European Cup appearances of the year.

The -73kg division sees Cole Lennon (Sportif), Sean McAleese (Sportif) and Robert Vozar (Causeway JC), both continuing to gain valuable international experience.

At -81kg, Aodhan McGivern (The Judo Academy) and Harvey Pugh (Pontarddulais JC) will both make their Cadet European Cup debuts.

Katrina Davis (Sakura JC) is the sole British entry at -44kg, arriving with consistent performances this year, including top-seven finishes. In the -48kg category, Alexis Buchanan (Sportif) and Betsy Doe (Pro Judo) represent Great Britain, with Doe targeting her first European Cup victory.

The -52kg division includes Maisie Broadley (Wirral JC), who has already secured a seventh-place finish this year, alongside Lucy Daly (Highland Budokan) and Hannah King (Bishops Stortford JK), who will be looking to build on her bronze medal at the Birmingham Junior European Cup last year.

A competitive -57kg field features Stella Cameron (Whitburn JC), Taylor Chrisp (Blyth Juno Michi), Evie Mitchell (The Parks JC), who claimed silver at the Poreč Cadet European Cup, and Maisie Shattock (Bacup JC), who has recently achieved a bronze medal and a seventh-place finish on the European circuit.

Kayla Smith (Pro Judo) will be the sole British representative at -63kg, while Robyn Davies (Ealing JC) and Zoe Galbraith (Garioch JC), who placed seventh in her last outing, complete the squad in the -70kg category.

Great Britain will also be represented by referees Daniel Harris and Natasha Maslen, who have been selected to officiate in Berlin.

Good luck to everyone this weekend!