Neil MacDonald Takes Bronze at 2026 Sarajevo Senior European Cup
June 01, 2026
It was a strong weekend for a range of British judoka at the 2026 Sarajevo Senior European Cup, with Great Britain taking home one medal alongside several top-seven finishes.
Neil MacDonald (Ipswich JC) secured a bronze medal in the -66kg division. The 29-year-old endured a tough start, losing his opening contest in the round of 32 and being pushed straight into the repechage. From there, MacDonald demonstrated outstanding resilience, producing a dominant run to reach the bronze medal contest.
After conceding a yuko in the opening minute, he once again showed his character, responding with two waza-ari scores to claim victory by waza-ari-awasete-ippon just two and a half minutes into the bout. It marks his second bronze medal of the year, having already reached the podium at the Casablanca African Open, and his first European Cup medal since 2022.
Laurence Hill (Dragons Academy) finished 7th in the -60kg category, achieving his best-ever result at a Senior European Cup and matching his top performance at Junior European Cup level.
The 20-year-old has been in excellent form throughout May 2026, securing gold at the Mandurah Junior Oceania Cup and a 5th-place finish at the Mandurah Oceania Open. He now carries that momentum onto the European stage in what is proving to be the most successful period of his career to date.
Cameron Charles (Camberley JC) placed 5th in the -73kg division, narrowly missing out on a medal but continuing to show strong form and consistency.
The result follows bronze medal performances at the Casablanca African Open earlier this year and the Hong Kong Asian Open at the end of 2025. It also marks his second-best finish at a European Cup, continuing a strong run of form in recent months.
Holly Devall (Dragons Academy) took 7th place in the -70kg division in her first European Cup appearance of 2026. Devall entered the event on an impressive five-event podium streak, including gold at the Montreal Panamerican Open, silver at the Casablanca African Open, bronze at the Tunis African Open, and gold at the Mandurah Oceania Open.
While she narrowly missed out on the final block in Sarajevo, she continues to demonstrate strong form in the division.
Scott Cusack (Edinburgh Judo) also secured 7th place in the -90kg category, marking his best result of 2026 so far.
The 30-year-old reached the quarter-finals in his third Senior European Cup appearance of the year but was drawn against the eventual gold medallist, who sent him into the repechage. Cusack picked up a win in the repechage rounds but was ultimately unable to progress to a medal contest on this occasion.
An excellent showing from the British squad, with strong performances across a range of weight categories – well done, team!
