Lubjana Piovesana claims 8th Junior Cup gold

With almost 250 athletes the Junior European Cup in the Romanian town of Arad was a useful last practice. Athletes from 33 nations were in Romania to feel the opponents and form as preparation for the Junior World Championships in Zagreb in October and European Championships in Maribor in September.

Romania was the winning nation with three gold medals, the same number as the best year 2015. However must be said that this European Cup wasn’t the strongest of the twelve events held since March this year. The tournament in Berlin had the most participating countries. Leibnitz (516) and Berlin (513) had the most athletes. Arad with 248 athletes the second fewest after Athens.

The Romanian team started well with gold U55kg by Adam Radvanszki and added women’s gold by Cleonia Raciu (U52kg) and Alexandra Mazilu (U78kg). The Croatian and Hungarian team ended with two gold medals.

U60kg it was an all Israelian final between Tomer Golomb who won the gold and Alon Aharon. Somon Makhmadbekov won a surprising gold medal for Tajikistan. Although he won the Junior African Open in Tunis this year and Asian gold in Chirchik, it was his first gold on European soil.

Andries Cornel of Moldova won gold for men U73kg, his second gold of the year, he was also victorious in Prague.

On Sunday Sergii Krivchach won his second of the season, he won in Athens U81kg and scored the fourth for Ukraine this season, an equal amount to the Ukrainian victories in 2016.  Henri Hannula of Finland this time won the gold U90kg where in 2015 he took silver.

American John Jayne won his second edition in Romania, in 2015 in Deva and in 2017 here in Arad. He was the only athlete who could regain or hold a title. In 2016 he won bronze, all U100kg.

Richard Waczulik is one of those strong Hungarian heavyweights. The future is coming fast in Hungary with Waczulik in the juniors and Richard Sipocz as European Cadet and EYOF champion. In Arad Waczulik won gold in the plus category.

For Hungary Fatime Beringer had won gold on Saturday U44kg. Andrea Stojadinov of Serbia won gold U48kg, in 2016 she won the bronze. Although she didn’t medal at the Cadet World Championships in Chile, at Junior Level she remains successful this year. In one year she converted her gold medals at cadet level into junior gold medals.

Belgian Mina Libeer concluded the successful junior season with gold, now the last mission is to stunt in Zagreb in October or Maribor in September. Libeer won her second event this year U57kg.

British Lubjana Piovesana said farewell to her Junior European Cup career with gold in Arad. She won eight European Cups in this age category and this was her first this season. Piovesana is in the top five most successful juniors ever. Extra nice was her dad came over for the first time to watch her win in Arad.

Croatian Karla Prodan, a former Cadet World Champion is booking progress in the juniors, the tall 18-year old won her first European Cup U70kg. Her compatriot Zrinka Miocic was the best junior among three athletes +78kg.