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European Judo Union

France Turns the Table on Georgia to Steal U23 European Mixed Team Glory

Overview

Same finalists. Same dramatic 4:3 scoreline. Different champions! Twelve months after Georgia denied France the U23 European Mixed Team title, the French returned the favour in Naples, snatching gold in a thrilling deciding contest. The final day of the European Judo Championships U23 Naples 2026 delivered everything a mixed team competition promises: fierce battles, dramatic comebacks, golden score tension and a spectacular conclusion. Eight nations entered the race for the final title of the championships: Georgia, Germany, Italy, Republic of Moldova, France, Hungary, Ukraine and Austria. With the competition beginning directly at the quarter-final stage, there was no room for hesitation. Georgia opened their campaign with a narrow 4:3 victory over Germany in Pool A, while hosts Italy overcame Republic of Moldova 4:2 in Pool B. France made an emphatic statement in Pool C, sweeping Hungary aside 4:0, before Ukraine completed the quarter-final line-up with a convincing 4:1 win against Austria. The repechage offered Germany and Hungary a second opportunity. Germany survived another nail-biter, edging Republic of Moldova 4:3, while Hungary confidently defeated Austria 4:1 to keep the…

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