The Montenegrin karate team finished its performance at the European Cadet, Junior and Young Senior Championships in Limassol with three gold medals and two silver and bronze medals.
The European champions were juniors Vuk Vučinić and Una Raković and younger senior Balša Vojinović, while younger senior Helena Backović and cadet Neda Beljkaš were less fortunate in the final program in kata.
Junior Anes Arifaj in wrestling and junior senior Jovana Milić in kata finished the championship with bronze medals.
Iskra junior Vuk Vučinić was convincing in the final of the over 76 kilogram category against Ukrainian Vladislav Rudenko 6:1.
This is his second European gold medal, after he was the best in the cadet competition in Tbilisi two years ago.
He reached the semifinals in a dominant manner yesterday, after victories over Božidar Sotirov from Bulgaria 9:0, Žijan Buhurku from Switzerland 2:0, and Pole Michal Pržasniski 1:0, while in the final match he eliminated Georgian Nika Konyari 7:1.
Junior Una Raković defeated Italian Nicole Correda 6:5 in the final match of the over 66 kilogram category and won European gold again after two years.
He also has a bronze medal from last year's championship in Poland.
On her way to the trophy, the member of Omladinac eliminated Ajlin Kurtanović from Bosnia and Herzegovina 2:1, Dutchwoman Iman Volk 1:0, Czech Marketa Klevarova 6:1 and in the semifinals Kira Krapivina from Russia 4:3.
Junior senior Balša Vojinović won the final match of the 60 kg category by decision over Italian Guido Scuilante (1:1).
The winner of the senior European medal in Limassol found himself on the podium of the continental European championships in the junior categories for the fourth time.
He has a junior silver medal from Prague 2022 and a bronze medal from Tbilisi 2024, and he won the same medal last year in Poland in the junior senior competition.
On his way to the finals, he eliminated Slovak Jan Črenko (2:2), German Florian Obic 1:0, Dane Marius Kalestrup 3:0 and in the semifinals Amin Abdelmalki from Belgium 4:0.
Helena Backović was less fortunate in the final, losing to Slovakian Nina Kvasnicova 5:2 in the 55 kg category.
The member of the Youth team won the gold medal match by defeating Lana Žadin from Luxembourg 5:1, Lithuanian Migla Liutkeviciute 2:1, Dutch Alicia Vurduin 4:0 and advanced to the semifinals in a duel with Hena Mehanija from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In Limassol, she won her fourth European medal - she was also silver two years ago in Tbilisi, and she also has a gold medal as a cadet from Tapere 2022 and last year's bronze from the championship in Poland.
The cadet from Pljevlja's Potoci club, Neda Beljkaš, had to settle for a silver medal, after being defeated by Spaniard Candela Garcia Peña 5:0 in the kata final.
On her way to career success, she eliminated Ukrainian Anastasia Shcherbinina 4:1, Maltese Jenna Avod Atia 5:0, and Anais Kela from France 4:1, and Portuguese Chiara Brandauer 3:2.
The championship in Limassol brought together 1.195 competitors from 46 countries.
Montenegro took sixth place in the overall standings.
Montenegrin karatekas in Limassol were led by selectors Biserka Radulović and Milena Milačić in kata, and in combat by Almir Cecunjanin, Žarko Raković, Dejan Ivanović and Nenad Vojinović.
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