This time at the U23 European Championships

Judo ace Dengg wins another gold medal!

Elena Dengg (in blue) was crowned European U23 champion in Poland.(Bild: Gabriel Juan)

Just six weeks after winning the U21 World Championship title, judo jewel Elena Dengg achieved the next big success of her career. The Lungau native (-70 kilograms) was crowned European U23 champion in Poland.

Elena Dengg is a real medal bank! In October, she won gold at the Junior World Championships in Tajikistan, her biggest career success to date. On Saturday afternoon, the 20-year-old was crowned European U23 champion in the 70 kilogram category in Pila, Poland. The athlete from Sanjindo Bischofshofen won in a golden score with Waza-ari against the two-time title holder Samira Bock from Germany.

Celebrating the next gold medal: Elena Dengg.(Bild: EJU/Carlos Ferreira)

Elena Dengg (2nd from left) was the beaming winner in the up to 70 kilogram class.(Bild: Judo Austria)

"Samira and I have a similar fighting style. I knew that I had to assert myself in the grappling match in order to win. I managed that well, I never had the feeling that I could lose," summed up Dengg, who is ranked 40th in the judo world rankings in the general class and second in the junior world rankings. 

"Rewarded in the end"
Looking back on her successes in 2024, she says: "This difficult year couldn't have ended any better for me." The Mariapfarr native suffered a number of injuries (thumb, rib and knee), which meant she also had to miss the European Junior Championships and the European Championships in the general class.

"That shows that you can never give up, you always have to give 100 percent. Then you will be rewarded in the end," beamed Elena Dengg. However, she was not the only Austrian judoka to win a medal in Poland. Magamed Borchashvilli won bronze in the 81 kilogram category. The 21-year-old Viennese defeated the Czech Petr Mlady in the small final. "I believed in this medal 100 percent. This victory is incredibly important to me."