Reigning champion and top seed Distria Krasniqi will compete on Thursday in Tbilisi, Georgia, on the opening day of the 2026 European Judo Championships. She enters the competition as the main favorite in the women’s -52 kg category, a division in which Kosovo has dominated for more than a decade.
Krasniqi is also the highest-ranked judoka at this European Championship and one of the most successful athletes in the sport, including her status as an Olympic champion. At the European Championships, she has won gold medals in 2021, 2024, and 2025, silver in 2018 and 2023, and bronze in 2020 and 2022.
A total of 24 judokas will compete in this category, with key rivals for the gold medal including Reka Pupp, Roza Gyertyas, Odette Giuffrida, and Amandine Buchard. Nevertheless, Krasniqi remains the leading contender for first place.
Her form has been impressive, having won medals in her last 15 competitions, often reaching the finals. It would be a major surprise if she fails to reach the podium at this European Championship.
On the first day of competition, the women’s -48 kg category and the men’s -60 kg and -66 kg categories will also take place.
Erza Muminovic will represent Kosovo in the -48 kg category. She has returned after a break and, although unseeded, has shown progress in recent competitions. A top-eight finish would be considered a significant success for her.
In the -52 kg category, Fatjona Kasapi will also compete, returning after a long injury. Despite being unseeded, her seventh-place finish at the Paris Grand Slam indicates positive form.
On Friday, Laura Fazliu will compete in the -63 kg category, while Akil Gjakova and Dardan Cena will compete in the -73 kg category.
Fazliu is seeded fourth and is targeting a medal, while the -73 kg category is extremely competitive, with 41 participants. Gjakova, seeded fifth, will face strong international opponents.
This European Championship features 402 judokas from 46 countries, making it one of the largest judo events on the continent.
