Portugal with 41 podiums in European Championships

Six of Portugal’s 11 gold medals come from Telma. Catarina and Patrícia shone in 2023

Since Justina Pinheiro (-48 kg) reached 3rd place in Gdansk-1994 — the pioneer in men was Pedro Soares (-95 kg), bronze in Birmingham-1995 —, Portugal has won 41 medals (11+9+21 ) in European judo. Of these, 15 are from Telma Monteiro (6+2+7), who holds six of the 11 Portuguese titles.

Until Lisbon-2021, where she won gold, the Benfica judoka always ended up on the podium in her first 15 participations, only failing to do so in Sofia-2022 and Montpellier-2023.

His first podium at a senior Euro, bronze, took place in Bucharest-2004, when he was still a junior, and his title debut was celebrated in Tampere-2006 (photo on the side).

In the women’s sector, only the German Barbara Classen was also a 15-time medalist in the championship, but she managed, in five editions, to add the successes in her category, -72 kg, to the podiums that she added in the now extinct open competition (without limits). of weight).

The national team in Croatia has three newcomers — Taís Pina (-70 kg), Miguel Gago (-66 kg) and Otari Kvantidze (-73 kg) —, but half of the remaining six members — Telma, Jorge Fonseca (-100 kg ), Rochele Nunes (+78 kg), Catarina Costa (-48 kg) and Patrícia Sampaio (-78 kg) — have already raised the national flag at the European Championships. In the cases of Rochele and Catarina on two occasions.

In the last two editions, Costa always took home the silver medal and with Patrícia (bronze) they were the main Portuguese figures in Montplellier-2023.

The record for medals in a single edition was seen in Lisbon-2021 and Lisbon-2008 (1+0+3) but the best record ever outside the country happened in Istanbul-2011 (1+2+0).

In an Olympic year, the European Championship takes on extra importance for everyone who still wants to compete in the French capital in July