Twelve British Juniors Set for Berlin Junior European Cup 2026
June 19, 2026
Twelve British juniors will compete this weekend at the Berlin Junior European Cup 2026, taking place from Saturday 20 to Sunday 21 June.
David Gheorghiu (Nippon Club London) will contest the -60kg category, looking to build on his best European Cup result to date, a 7th-place finish earlier this year in Sarajevo. He will be joined in the division by Wil Jones (Camberley JC), who is set to compete in his second Junior European Cup of 2026 and will be aiming to build on the experience gained from previous events.
At -73kg, Eden Heffernan (Pro Judo) will be making his fifth appearance on the junior European circuit this year, seeking to improve on his best result of 5th place in Kaunas. He is joined by Oliver Ridout (Stroud JC), who will be competing in his first European Cup of the year and his first international event since the Birmingham Junior European Cup in July 2025.
In the -81kg category, Peter Davies (Ealing JC) will look to turn a year of international experience into a strong result on the European stage. Oriol Rubio Ruiz (Bradley Stoke JC) also lines up at -81kg and will be aiming to deliver a personal best performance in his second European Cup outing of the year.
Archili Tataru (Palavani JC) will be Great Britain’s sole representative at -90kg, competing in his third Junior European Cup of 2026, following appearances in Poznan and Kaunas, where he gained valuable experience.
At -100kg, Gheorghe Tataru (Palavani JC) will represent the team, arriving in Berlin off the back of a career-best 5th-place finish in Kaunas. Having narrowly missed out on a medal, he will be targeting a podium finish this weekend.
In the women’s categories, Lola Hodson (Dragons Academy) will compete at -52kg. Fresh from her selection to represent Team Wales at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Hodson has already secured back-to-back bronze medals at the Kaunas and Poznan Junior European Cups this year and will be a strong contender for another podium finish.
She is joined in the -52kg division by Daisy Hodgkinson (Team Bath), who will be looking to improve on her best result of 7th place in Sarajevo, and Amelia Alder (JC Osaka), who comes into the event following a 5th-place finish in Kaunas and will be aiming to push onto the podium.
Rounding out the squad is Maddy Kissenisky (East Yorkshire JA) in the -57kg category. With extensive experience at this level, she will be looking to return to medal-winning form, having last reached the podium at the Birmingham Junior European Cup in July 2025.
Good luck to the entire team competing in Germany this weekend!
