Under 23 European Championships, three Akiyama medals

A medal more than the 2023 edition of Berlin (previously Gold with Erica Simonetti in the heavyweights and Bronze with Francesco Cargnelutti in 66 kg) even if the highlight of the Gold medal is missing.
The first day of the competition immediately gave Giulia Ghiglione a lightning start in the 48 kg category who, after last year’s bronze in the junior class, reaffirmed her qualities in the older age class.
The Ligurian, from Andora, moved to Turin with his grandmother Franca to train at Settimo Torinese in the prestigious Akiyama, quickly eliminated the Azerbaijani Mirzalyeva, the Polish Wozniak and in the semi-final the Spanish Gomez Antona.

In the final, against the Swedish Olympic bronze medalist in Paris 2024 Tara Babulfath, she started very well, putting her opponent at a disadvantage who nevertheless won the Italian by a distance. A similar path for Federico Ninfo who in the 66 kg category easily defeated the Estonian Lipard, dangerous Portuguese Lampreia, Israeli Fiks, and in the semi-final the Bulgarian Yotov.

All-blue final with his Apulian teammate Giuseppe De Tullio. Ninfo, leading for almost the whole game, surrendered to the more experienced Apulian in the final but considering his age (he is still in junior class) we can only admire what the young Ninfo did with his first important European medal circuit. Erica Simonetti, representative of the ARMY Olympic sports center who trained in Settimo since the age of seven, was unable to repeat the success of the 2023 Edition but still climbed the European podium showing impressive toughness and quality.

Certainly at the end of an intense season in which he collected medals in the Grand Prix and in the military world championships it is not easy​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ situations and this is proof of that.

Of the total of eighteen athletes called by Federjudo, nine are from Turin, belonging to Akiyama of the Settimo Torinese and Accademia di Torino and of the seven medals won in the Polish event by the Azzurri, three are returning in Turin confirmed for years as the judo capital of Italy!