The amazing year of Finnish judo became historic! Eetu Ihanamäki’s under-23 EC bronze

Eetu Ihanamäki’s feat sealed the fact that a Finnish judoka has won an EC medal in every age group in 2023. Ihanamäki follows in the footsteps of Martti Puumalainen.

Fighting in the 81-kilogram category, Nokian Judon Eetu Ihanamäki has reached bronze in judo at the under-23 European Championships in Potsdam, Germany on Saturday. Ihanamäki is one of the athletes whom the Judo Federation expects to reach the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic team.

Ihanamäki passes the leading star of Finnish judo Martti Puumalainen footprints. Puumalainen, who won the historic adult European championship less than a couple of weeks ago, achieved EC bronze in the under-23 category in 2019.

In the calendar year 2023, Finland was not without an EC medal in any age group. It is an achievement that Finnish judo had never been able to achieve before.

– This was also the end of the season. We received a prize medal in all age groups. I am happy for our team, the athletes and all the coaches and support staff. We have a wonderful year behind us, beamed the Slovenian head coach of the Judo League Rok Draksic.

They stretched to record contracting this year Riina Myllylä (U18, EC-3), Pihla Salonen (U21, EC-2), Ihanamäki (U23, EC3) and Puumalainen, whose adult European championship came in the heavyweight category and was Finland’s first adult competition medal in 30 years in judo.

Competed in the 73-kilogram category at the European Championships for under-23-year-olds Turpal Djoukaev advanced to the 3rd round promisingly on Friday, but lost to the Netherlands I feel for Hegi, who eventually won the European Championship. Also At Artur Kanavets was a “missing” chart, because the Finn, who competed in the 90 kg category, immediately lost in the opening match to the Ukrainian who advanced to the final match.

Puumalainen, who has already secured his place in Paris in Judo’s Olympic ranking, is currently third in the largest weight class. In addition to that, there is an Olympic seam among the Finns at 66 kilos Luukas Sahalla and in 73-kilogram ones Valtteri Olinboth of which are ranked 29th in the Olympic ranking.