Eleven British Judoka Ready for 2026 Prague Junior European Cup
July 03, 2026
Eleven British judoka will be in action this weekend as they compete at the Prague Junior European Cup in the Czech Republic.
Joseph Buchanan (Sportif) will contest the -60kg category after producing the best European result of his career with a fifth-place finish at the Kaunas Junior European Cup earlier this year, narrowly missing out on a medal.
Joining him at -60kg is David Gheorghiu (Nippon Club London). In his first year competing on the Junior European Cup circuit, Gheorghiu has already impressed with a seventh-place finish in Sarajevo and will be looking to build on that performance in Prague.
Eden Heffernan (Pro Judo) lines up in the -73kg division after achieving his best European result to date with fifth place at the Kaunas Junior European Cup in April. He will be hoping to take another step forward this weekend.
Also competing at -73kg is Viktor Andriichuk (Camberley JC), who makes his Junior European Cup debut. Having gained valuable international experience on the Cadet European Cup circuit in 2025, including a seventh-place finish in Berlin, Andriichuk now steps up to junior level.
Peter Davies (Ealing JC) will represent Great Britain in the -81kg category. Davies claimed a bronze medal at the Casablanca Junior African Cup earlier this year and will be aiming to transfer that form onto the European stage.
In the -100kg division, Jaden Calder (JC Esprit) returns to junior competition after finishing seventh at the Riga Senior European Cup earlier in the year. This competition provides valuable competitive mat time ahead of his Commonwealth Games debut for Team Scotland later this summer.
Joining Calder at -100kg is Gheorghe Tataru (Palavani), who narrowly missed out on a medal with fifth place at the Kaunas Junior European Cup in April. He will be targeting another strong performance as he looks to climb onto the podium in Prague.
Eva Ewing (Edinburgh Judo) will compete in the -48kg category. Another athlete preparing for her Commonwealth Games debut with Team Scotland, Ewing will use the event as an important opportunity to build momentum ahead of Glasgow. She has already recorded impressive results this year, finishing fifth in Sarajevo and seventh in Kaunas.
Amelia Alder (Osaka JC) takes to the tatami in the -52kg division. After securing fifth place at the Kaunas Junior European Cup in April, Alder will be aiming to put herself back in medal contention this weekend.
She is joined in the -52kg category by Daisy Hodgkinson (Team Bath), whose best European Cup result came earlier this year with seventh place in Sarajevo. Competing in her fourth Junior European Cup of 2026, Hodgkinson will be looking to continue her progress and push into the latter stages of the competition.
Rounding off the British team is Maddy Kissenisky (East Yorkshire JA), who competes at -57kg. Kissenisky enjoyed an impressive 2025 campaign, claiming bronze at the Birmingham Junior European Cup alongside fifth-place finishes in both Kaunas and Portimão. She will be aiming to replicate that level of performance as she returns to international action in Prague.
Good luck, team!
