From 22–23 November, Western Australian judoka Maelie Tournier (-52kg, UWA Judo Club) represented Australia at the 2025 Podgorica Junior European Cup in Montenegro, gaining valuable international experience against a deep field of European competitors.
Maelie began her campaign in the quarter-final against Cyprus’ Adamantia Christodoulidou, securing victory after her opponent received hansokumake, advancing her to the semi-final.
In the semi-final, she faced Israel’s Libi Becker in a fiercely contested match that extended four and a half minutes into golden score. Despite strong exchanges throughout, Maelie was narrowly defeated by a single yuko.
Moving into the bronze-medal contest, Maelie met Poland’s Tetiana Kyryliuk. Both athletes scored a yuko, but inside the final 30 seconds Kyryliuk secured a waza-ari that proved decisive. Maelie concluded the event with a commendable 5th-place finish.
Full results and match replays are available on JudoTV: 2025 Podgorica Junior European Cup .
Congratulations to Maelie Tournier on her efforts representing Australia and Western Australia on the European stage.