Olympic Dreams project participant Serhii Karakin became the champion of the European Judo Cup among cadets, which took place recently in the Hungarian city of Gyor.
In the 81 kg weight category, he won a gold medal, for which 65 competitors fought. His teammate Dmytro Halich, who is also a project participant, took fifth place in the same category, stopping just short of the award.
For Serhii and Dmytro, it was the first competition after intensive training in Japan, where they spent almost a month as part of the Olympic Dreams project perfecting their techniques under the guidance of the best judo masters.
"We are proud that the young Ukrainian athletes participating in the Olympic Dreams project demonstrate such outstanding results just a week after the completion of the next professional camp," said Anatoliy Boyko, initiator and patron of the Olympic Dreams project. "We express our sincere gratitude to our Japanese partners — the All Japan Judo Federation, the Japan Sports Agency, the Japanese Olympic Committee, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan — for supporting Ukrainian athletes and providing them with the opportunity for professional development."
In the team competition, Ukrainian judokas took second place, losing only to the hosts of the competition.
We congratulate the young athletes and their coaches — Oleksandra Starkova and Karen Balaian — and wish them further victories on their way to their Olympic dreams!