March 15, 2022 - At the European Judo Cadet Cup in Zagreb, in which 698 athletes from 32 countries participated, the young Marćelina Vranješ from Split achieved the only gold medal for Croatia after a great performance in the tournament.

Two days filled with effort and desire of the best cadets in Europe in Zagreb showed once again why the European Cadet Cup in Zagreb is one of the most respected judo competitions, and Croatian judoka Marćelina Vranješ (over 70 kg) closed it in the best way, with a gold medal, reported Slobodna Dalmacija.

At the European Cadet Cup, which brought as many as 698 athletes from 32 countries to Zagreb despite all the troubles in Europe, Croatia had 48 representatives. Turkey and Israel surpassed that number, sending 64 and 78 competitors, respectively.

The medal for Croatia was won by Marćelina Vranješ (over 70 kg), who on Sunday showed the splendor of talent and in four fights reached first place in her category. The young woman from Split was free in the first round and then celebrated with an ippon against Hassan, making up for the wazari advantage scored by the British.

An ippon in the last minute of the quarterfinals against the Serbian representative Jovanović sent Marćelina to the semifinals. After that, in another turnaround, this time against the French judoka Lang, placed the young girl from Split in the finals. There, in less than a minute, Vranješ defeated the Frenchwoman Cancan and deservedly took the gold medal.

Judokas from 26 countries took the podium, and the representatives of France had the most success, winning seven gold, three silver, and eight bronze medals. The Turkish cadets won one gold and two silver and bronze medals, while the Romanians returned home with one gold and two silver. A large number of national teams remained in Zagreb after the competition because, from March 14 to 16, a training camp will be held.

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October 7, 2021 - A month after winning a gold medal at the European championship, the Croatian judoka Katarina Krišto wins a bronze medal at the World championship!

One of the best competitors in the junior category worldwide, the Croatian judoka managed to prove her potential once more today. After 5 great performances at the World Junior Championship held in Italian Oblia, she managed to continue her medal streak at the biggest competitions. This only secures her first spot in the world rankings for juniors in her weight class, half middleweight (up to 63 kg).

The Croatian future judo superstar regrets she lost her concentration in the semi-finals, where she lost to the Spanish competitor, Vasquez Fernandez. However, the bronze medal fight was a real thriller, in which the young judoka from Kaštela secured her victory over the Hungarian Ozbas in the last second! In her first statement, Katarina thanked her judo club, the national judo association, her fans as well as the entire town of Kaštela, which has supported her since the beginning of her successful judo career.

Kristina Krišto is not the only Croatian participating at the European championships. Ana Viktorija Puljiz (half lightweight weight class) wasn't able to make it to the quarter-finals. We have yet to see how much Lara Cvetko (middleweight) and Josip Bulić (middleweight) can achieve in this competition.

To watch an interview our own Daniela Rogulj did with another Croatian judo star, Barbara Matić, follow this link. Hopefully, Katarina Krišto's career will develop in a way which will allow her to become just as successful as the World No. 1 judoka, Barbara Matić!

ZAGREB, 24 Sept 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday received for talks representatives of the International Judo Federation (IJF) and the Croatian Judo Federation, on the occasion of the IJF World Judo Tour - Zagreb Grand Prix 2021.

IJF president Marius Vizer, Croatian Judo Federation president Sandra Čorak, Croatian Judo Federation honorary president Tomislav Čuljak, and Hrvoje Lindi, secretary general of the Croatian Judo Federation attended the meeting. The prime minister was accompanied by Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac.

They discussed the upcoming Grand Prix in Zagreb, a competition important for promoting judo and Croatia in the world, which PM Plenković will officially open today.

PM Plenković congratulated the International Judo Federation and the Croatian Judo Federation on their many activities and expressed the government's continued support for developing sports and encouraging sport activities for a healthier and more active life, especially among young people. Also, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports provides continuous financial support to the activities of the Croatian Judo Federation.

The meeting underscored the importance of popularising judo among young people and its participants mentioned Croatian judoka Barbara Matić's success and her gold medal at the World Judo Championship in Budapest.

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August 20, 2021 - Following the Tokyo Olympics, the International Judo Federation (IJF) has announced a new ranking of the world’s best judokas. The current world champion and the best Croatian judoka, Barbara Matić, took the top spot in the category up to 70 kg, while Karla Prodan is eighth in the category up to 78 kg.

The best result in the performances of Croatian judokas so far at the Olympic Games, fifth place in Tokyo, helped Barbara Matić jump by seven positions and become the first name in the category up to 70 kg, reports HRT.

"I am proud because I sat at the very top of my category. Although the world gold brought the most points, the whole season was good, and the result is world number 1. At the same time, it is my motivation for even stronger work because there are so many quality judokas, and I want to stay on top in the coming years as I look towards Paris," said Matić, while coach Vladimir Preradović offered a similar view:

"This is a great thing for Barbara and Croatian judo and JK Pujanke. It is the result of twenty years of work and commitment to continue to be quality, as well as to raise others, from Karla to younger and new names to come."

Barbara Matić is from Split and is a two-time world junior champion in the women's 70 kg division and the bronze medalist at the 2014 and 2017 European Judo Championships as well. 

The winner of the European senior bronze medal from Prague in 2020, Karla Prodan, jumped 15 places and came in 8th place in the world ranking of the category up to 78 kg.

For the first time in one year, Croatian judo has two names in the Top 10 judokas, in its categories, with winning the first medal at the world championships and the fight for the Olympic medal.

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More sporting success for the Pearl of the Adriatic!

Barbara Matić and Dominik Družeta won bronze medals on the second day of the European Senior Championship in judo taking place in Warsaw