joanne van lieshout claims silver in tense tbilisi showdown
Moskou, vrijdag, 17 april 2026.
joanne van lieshout secured a silver medal at the 2026 european judo championships in tbilisi. competing in the women’s 63 kg division, she reached the final after strong performances against top contenders. her opponent, france’s manon deketer, proved tough in a closely contested match. van lieshout narrowly missed gold but demonstrated exceptional skill throughout the tournament. bronze medals went to croatia’s iva oberan and poland’s angelika szymańska. the event drew 23 athletes from 19 countries. this achievement marks a career highlight for van lieshout and strengthens her standing in international judo. fans celebrate her success as a milestone for dutch judo.
van lieshout secures silver in tense tbilisi final
Joanne van Lieshout claimed the silver medal in the women’s 63 kg category at the 2026 European Judo Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia. Competing at the Olympic Palace on 17 April 2026, Van Lieshout advanced to the final through consistent performances across elimination rounds [1]. As the top seed and 2024 world champion, expectations were high entering the contest [2]. Her campaign culminated in a close final bout against France’s Manon Deketer, where she narrowly missed gold [1].
strong field highlights competitive depth
The women’s 63 kg division featured 23 athletes from 19 different nations, underscoring the championship’s elite level [1]. Pre-tournament analysis highlighted potential chaos in the bracket due to the presence of multiple former champions [2]. Notably, Kosovo’s Laura Fazliu, a Paris 2024 bronze medallist, posed a serious threat alongside Czech Republic’s Renata Zachová, the reigning European titleholder [2]. Despite these challenges, Van Lieshout navigated the draw effectively to reach the final [1].
polish and croatian judoka share bronze
The two bronze medals were awarded to Iva Oberan of Croatia and Angelika Szymańska of Poland following the repechage system used in judo tournaments [1]. Both athletes demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline to finish among the podium places [GPT]. Their achievements reflect growing strength in Eastern European judo programs and add further prestige to the competition results [1].
netherlands celebrates podium achievement
This silver medal represents a significant accomplishment for Dutch judo on the continental stage [1]. The Netherlands entered nine experienced judoka into the 2026 championships, including several past medallists [3]. Van Lieshout’s result stands out as a personal career peak thus far and reinforces national momentum heading toward future events such as the 2027 European Championships in Apeldoorn [1][3].