site.btaBulgarian Judoka Victor Skerlev Wins Bronze at Graz Junior European Cup 2024

Bulgarian judoka Victor Skerlev has won bronze at the Graz Junior European Cup 2024, which brought together 396 athletes from 29 countries.

Skerlev achieved four victories in the men’s -73 kg repechages. He lost his first bout to Ohad Moritz (Israel), but made up for it by defeating Nouri Guenther (Germany), Aydin Rzayev (Azerbaijan), Yucel Goker (Turkiye), and Tom Bulocinic (Israel). He qualified for the final, where he was supposed to face Bulgarian Dimitar Gospodinov, who did not appear on the tatami. Prior to that, Gospodinov was disqualified for illegal action against Georgia’s Saba Khalishvili.

This is Skerlev’s fourth medal for this season after he took one silver and two bronze medals at European Cup events.

Snezhana Gramatikova placed fifth in the -57kg event. She achieved four victories but eventually lost to Brazil’s Beatriz Comanche.

Gramatikova defeated Maya Patane (Germany) and Djurdja Vukadinovic (Serbia) and then lost to Jevgenija Gajic (Slovenia) in the quarterfinals. The Bulgarian then took two wins in the repechages, over Ilay Hayun (Israel) and Chloe Link (the UK).

Hedar El Ashi ranked in seventh place in the men’s -90kg.