Sejla Spahić won bronze in faro after six demanding judo matches, giving the Budućnost judoka her third cadet medal on the European stage. The result also added another podium finish for Montenegro at a high-level international event.
Faro bronze after six fights
Spahić beat opponents from Italy and Spain in her first two rounds, then lost to a Turkish competitor in the quarterfinals before fighting back through repechage.
She defeated another competitor from Spain and a competitor from Slovakia there, then beat a competitor from Italy in the bronze-medal match.
Spahić said, "I had six very demanding matches, but I was focused from the beginning of the competition".
Ilija Vukotić on five wins
Her coach, Ilija Vukotić, said she won five of her six fights in Faro, and he called the result a noteworthy achievement from the European Cadet Cup.
He added that cadet cups are the most numerous events in judo at this age, and that a medal usually requires at least six fights in one day, sometimes eight.
Spain and Ecuador ahead
Spahić said, "Although a small moment of inattention cost me a defeat in the quarterfinals, I managed to come back and defeat opponents from Spain, Slovakia and Italy, thus winning the bronze medal. The competition was very strong, which further motivates me to continue training even more".
She added, "I'm thinking about the European Championship. That's a big goal for me and every success on that path means a lot to me. It's a special feeling to stand on the podium at a major international competition and represent my club and country in the best possible way. I know that I have a lot of training and sacrifices ahead of me, but I believe in myself, my team and the process I'm going through. This is just an additional motivation to continue moving towards even greater results".
That next stretch now runs through the European Championships at the end of June in Spain and the World Cadet Championships in August in Ecuador, where this bronze becomes a benchmark rather than a finish line.
