Matthias Casse of Belgium, one of the most consistent names in European judo, showed once again why he is a force to be reckoned with. Already boasting a European Championship title from 2019, along with two silver medals, Casse added a second European bronze to his collection today — making it an incredible fifth European medal overall!
Matthias Casse Bronze in the -81kg Category.
In a tense bronze medal match against Italy’s Antonio Esposito, Casse displayed his trademark composure. The match went into Golden Score, but it didn’t take long for Matthias to seize his moment, locking in a decisive osei-komi-waza to secure the victory and another spot on the podium for Team IpponGear!
Lara Cvjetko Bronze in the -70kg Category
Meanwhile, Lara Cvjetko of Croatia continues to build an impressive career trajectory. Already a Cadet European Champion (2017) and U23 European Champion (2020), the Croatian standout captured her second senior European bronze medal today!
Facing off against France’s Marie-Eve Gahie in the first bronze medal match, Cvjetko knew there was no room for hesitation. The contest was fast and fierce from the very first grip. With just one minute left on the clock, Lara produced a crucial yuko score thanks to sharp te-waza control. Keeping the pressure high, she countered Gahie's desperate yoko-guruma attempts and finished the match in style with a perfectly timed uchi-mata!
Another fantastic day of performances from our athletes — congratulations to Matthias and Lara for making Team IPPONGEAR proud once again!
