Western Australia’s Robert ‘Bobby’ Girdwood has won gold at the 2026 Open European Adapted Judo Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, finishing undefeated in the Level 1 men’s under-90kg division.
Representing Australia, the Kano Judo Schools athlete won both of his contests in the three-athlete round-robin division, with each bout extending into golden score.
Bobby opened against Great Britain’s Solomon Rice. With neither athlete registering a score during regulation time, the contest continued into golden score, where Bobby secured victory with a yuko. The recorded contest duration was five minutes and 28 seconds.
His second contest, against France’s Ifeanyi Oguejiofor, also required golden score. Bobby again scored the deciding points, this time earning a waza-ari to win after a recorded seven minutes and eight seconds.
The two victories secured Bobby first place, with Oguejiofor taking silver and Rice bronze.
The result adds another international gold medal to Bobby’s 2026 campaign, following his victory in the Senior Level 1 under-90kg division at the Ecole Mont-Olivet Adapted Judo Grand Slam in Lausanne in August.
Judo WA congratulates Bobby on his achievement and acknowledges Kano Judo Schools, his coaches and everyone supporting his development and international competition opportunities.
