The 2026 EWF European Championships opened in Batumi, Georgia on Saturday 19 April, with the first medals awarded in the women’s 48 kg and 53 kg categories and several standout performances setting the tone for the week ahead.
Day 1 delivered a strong start to the competition, combining close battles for the podium with a series of new records in the 53 kg category.
Italy’s Giulia Imperio was the strongest lifter in the women’s 48 kg category, taking the overall title with a 176 kg total, with 78 kg in snatch and 98 kg in clean & jerk.
Ukraine’s Kateryna Malashchuk finished second on 172 kg, while Bulgaria’s Boyana Kostadinova secured bronze with 169 kg, just ahead of Türkiye’s Ezgi Kilic, who matched that total but placed fourth.
The women’s 53 kg event had one of the most exciting moments of the day.
Belgium’s Nina Sterckx claimed the European title with a 210 kg total, edging Romania’s Mihaela Valentina Cambei by just one kilogram after Cambei finished on 209 kg.
Türkiye’s Cansel Ozkan completed the podium in third place with 198 kg.
The contest remained open until the final attempts, with Cambei leading the snatch and Sterckx answering in the clean & jerk to take the overall victory.
Cambei opened the medal session in the 53 kg category by winning the snatch with 95 kg, a result marked on the official results sheet as a new European senior record.
Sterckx then responded in the clean & jerk with 116 kg, also listed as a new European senior record, before sealing the overall gold with her 210 kg total.
The Day 1 results also recorded 210 kg by Sterckx among the new European senior record in total.
With the first champions now crowned, Batumi has already delivered the mix every major continental championship hopes for: established names holding their ground, young lifters pushing onto the senior stage, and records falling on the opening day.
If Saturday’s sessions are any indication, the 2026 EWF European Championships promise a week of high-level competition and more memorable moments to come.
Photos @Hiroki Nishioka