New judo history will be written in Sarajevo

At the European Open in Sarajevo new talent streams in to battle with peer athletes. It is an event where not only athletes can measure, also their coaches will know where they stand. Some athletes will have a special coach on their side with extreme experience.

Although we’ve seen Slovenian star Tina Trstenjak before in a coach chair, it’s great to see her on that side of the tatami having won the Olympic title and being the 2020 Olympic finalist. Trstenjak won two world titles in her category U63kg and claimed four World medals in total. Another who makes her debut at European ground as a coach for Germany at World Cup level is Erika Miranda of Brazil. Miranda collected five World Championships medal in her category U52kg. Miranda will enforce the Bavarian team at the second edition of this World Cup event in Bosnia Herzegovina. The previous edition in 2021 was dominated by the French athletes, including Loic Pietri of France who won gold. Pietri is related to the new Brazilian head coach Sarah Menezes.

Lara Cvjetko is the highest seeded athlete present in Sarajevo (CRO-12) in her category U70kg. In total there will be about 300 athletes, but only a few will make it to the Olympic Games in 2024, but it’s good to know the upcoming talent.

The European Open is an upgrade of the European Cup which was held since 2010 at European level. But even that event will be held this year, but in May. Outside the previous event last September Bosnia Herzegovina never hosted a World Cup. Sarajevo has always been a playground for European talent where Cadet World Championships and Junior European Championships. Bosnian talents such as Larisa Ceric and Aleksandra Samardzić captured gold medals at those European Cups.

This year in April the Cadet World Championships will be held in Sarajevo, just like in 2015. For the youngsters who like history, Sarajevo was once host of the Winter Olympic Games in 1984.

Sarajevo cherishes history but has even more ambitions to write new history with new talented judo stars. They can count on the best advise of their coach, some have world level experience.