The final day of the 2025 EKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, was a spectacular demonstration of karate’s excellence and the strength of the sport among young generations. Italy and France topped the final medal table as the new continental champions in Cadet, Junior and U21 categories were crowned.

Cadet Kata Female – Julia Vilanova Takes Gold

France’s Julia Vilanova delivered a stunning performance, defeating Belgium’s Giulia Manca with a score of 41.40 to 39.80. Her precision and technique secured her the top podium spot.

Cadet Kata Male – Vasco Mateus Claims Victory

Portugal’s Vasco Mateus impressed the judges by beating Spain’s Elisey Yagudin Gritsenko with a score of 41.10 to 39.00, showcasing his mastery of kata.

Cadet Kumite Female -47 kg – Dominant Win for Lee-Lou Koume

France’s Lee-Lou Koume was in full control, securing gold with a 6-1 win over Serbia’s Jana Vincic and opening the gold medal count for the powerhouse nation of France.

Cadet Kumite Male -52 kg – Maksym Viechkanov Triumphs

Ukraine’s Maksym Viechkanov put in a strong display, defeating Spain’s David Gomez Maurino 3-0 to take the title of Cadet Kumite Male -52kg, the first gold of the day for Ukraine.

Cadet Kumite Female -54 kg – Adriana Boyadzhieva Dominates

Bulgaria’s Adriana Boyadzhieva was unstoppable in the final of Cadet Kumite Female -54kg, overpowering Ukraine’s Sofiia Haliievska with a commanding 7-0 victory

Cadet Kumite Male -57 kg – Carmine Apicella Wins Gold

Italy’s Carmine Apicella showed resilience, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Daris Dzafo 6-2 to claim gold in Cadet Kumite Male -57kg.

Cadet Kumite Female -61 kg – Soendergaard’s Flawless Performance

Denmark’s Hannah Bath Soendergaard delivered a near-perfect performance, winning 9-1 over Kosovo’s Lijana Iseni so to secure the title in Cadet Kumite Female -61kg.

Cadet Kumite Male -63 kg – Oleksandr Cheban Holds Strong

In a hard-fought victory, Austria’s Oleksandr Cheban displayed tactical brilliance to beat Italy’s Raffaele Baldassarre 2-0 in Cadet Kumite -63kg.

Cadet Kumite Female 61+ kg – Douka Dominates Final

Greece’s Effrosyni Douka Davidoula secured a commanding 9-2 victory over Ukraine’s Daria Dudka in one of the most convincing performances of the day.

Cadet Kumite Male -70 kg – Julian Raaz Stuns Mihaylov

Germany’s Julian Raaz dominated the final of Cadet Kumite Male-70kg, securing an 8-0 win over Bulgaria’s Nikola Mihaylov.

Cadet Kumite Male 70+ kg – Argyrakis Wins by Senshu

Greece’s Christos Argyrakis edged Poland’s Michal Przasnyski in a tense final, winning by Senshu after a 1-1 draw.

Junior Kata Female – Rita Marques Edges to Victory

Portugal’s Rita Marques delivered an excellent performance, defeating Germany’s Shirley Jay 42.3 to 41.2 to take the title in Junior Kata Female and continue the country's progress in the modality.

Junior Kata Male – Thomas Klemz Secures Gold

France’s Thomas Klemz delivered an impeccable routine to beat Poland’s Patryk Wittek 42.8 to 40.7 in Junior Kata Male, so to increase the impressive gold medal count of France.

Junior Kumite Female -48 kg – Agnes Nyman Prevails

Sweden’s Agnes Nyman battled hard for a 2-1 win over Italy’s Ludovica Legittimo in Junior Kumite Female -48kg.

Junior Kumite Male -55 kg – Torcato Wins by Decision

Belgium’s Mathis Alves Torcato emerged victorious over the Czech Republic’s Filip Hornak by Hantei or decision after a 3-3 draw and claimed the crown in Junior Kumite Male -55kg.

Junior Kumite Female -53 kg – Scarfone Takes Gold

France’s Morgane Scarfone edged Lithuania’s Migle Liutkeviciute by Hantei after a 1-1 draw in another tense clash for the continental crown.

Junior Kumite Male -61 kg – Califano Edges Close Final

Italy’s Emanuele Califano claimed victory over Serbia’s Aleksandar Vuckovic 2-1 so to secure one more title for the powerhouse nation of Italy.

Junior Kumite Female -59 kg – Arzumian in Command

France’s Monica Arzumian displayed sheer dominance, defeating Denmark’s Anna Kristensen 7-0 and extending the dominance of France in the competition.

Junior Kumite Male -68 kg – Halici Edges Malikov

Turkiye’s Ahmet Halici secured a tight 7-6 win over Azerbaijan’s Aladdin Malikov in one of the highlight finals of the day. The Turkish competitor was 6-0 down and bounced back brilliantly to take the title 7-6.

Junior Kumite Female -66 kg – Cattaneo Stays Strong

Italy’s Elisa Cattaneo secured the title against Serbia’s Teodora Krstovic in a well-fought contest, one more title for the Italian delegation.

Junior Kumite Male -76 kg – Packwood Wins by One Point

Scotland’s Benjamin Packwood won an intense match, beating Spain’s Iker Leal Moreno 5-4. The Spaniard recovered from a 5-1 but could not manage to overpower an inspired Packwood.

Junior Kumite Female 66+ kg – Astamaja Bath Clinches Gold

Denmark’s Astamaja Bath delivered a solid performance to beat the Czech Republic’s Amalie Hakova 4-1 and add one more gold for the Danish squad.

Junior Kumite Male 76+ kg – Aleksieienko Wins by Senshu

Ukraine’s Artem Aleksieienko edged Slovakia’s Lukas Bohunicky by Senshu after a 1-1 draw in another hard-fought clash in Bielsko-Biala.

Kata Team Cadet & Junior Female – France Wins Gold

France’s kata team delivered an outstanding routine to defeat Spain 41.4 to 39.3, extending the success of the French delegation to the kata modalities.

Kata Team Cadet & Junior Male – Italy Takes the Title

Italy emerged victorious over Turkiye with a score of 41.7 to 41.0, securing the last gold of the event in team categories.

U21 Kata Female: Paola Garcia Lozano Triumphs for Spain

Paola Garcia Lozano of Spain demonstrated impeccable form to claim the U21 Kata Female title. She outscored Damla Turemen of Turkiye, securing victory with a score of 42.3 to 40.6 so to clinch continental senior and U21 titles.

U21 Kata Male: Anthony Vu Wins Gold for Sweden

In a closely contested final, Anthony Vu of Sweden edged out Italy’s Guido Polsinelli. Vu’s performance earned him a narrow victory, scoring 41.5 to Polsinelli’s 41.2.

U21 Kumite Female -50 kg: Valeriia Sergaieva Claims Gold

Ukraine’s Valeriia Sergaieva secured the title in a tight defensive battle. She defeated Bulgaria’s Teodora Tsaneva by a single point, winning 1-0.

U21 Kumite Male -60 kg: Adam Hamill Dominates

Scotland’s Adam Hamill left no doubt in his final, overpowering Kenan Siljak of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a commanding 9-1 victory.

U21 Kumite Female -55 kg: Kseniya Dronchanka Wins by Decision

The home crowd had reason to celebrate as Poland’s Kseniya Dronchanka secured gold in U21 Kumite Female -55kg. She battled Slovakia’s Nina Kvasnicova to a 0-0 draw but won by the judges’ decision (Hantei).

U21 Kumite Male -67 kg: Georgios Baliotis Takes Gold

Greece’s Georgios Baliotis controlled his match against France’s Isaac Matingou, securing a 4-1 victory to claim the European title.

U21 Kumite Female -61 kg: Eva Otero Luengo Wins for Spain

Eva Otero Luengo of Spain put on a strong display to edge out Ukraine’s Natalia Osadchuk, winning by a close 3-2 margin.

U21 Kumite Male -75 kg: Heorhii Pitsul Edges Out Fernandes

Ukraine’s Heorhii Pitsul held his nerve in a high-scoring final against Portugal’s Bernardo Fernandes, winning a tense 6-5 battle.

U21 Kumite Female -68 kg: Hannah Riedel Prevails in a Thriller

Germany’s Hannah Riedel and Kosovo’s Behije Mustafa finished their final at 4-4, but Riedel won on the judges’ decision (Hantei) to take the gold.

U21 Kumite Male -84 kg: Ashton Patrick Wins for England

England’s Ashton Patrick delivered a strong performance, overcoming Cyprus’ Loizos Vasiliou with a 5-2 victory.

U21 Kumite Female 68+ kg: Asia Pergolesi Takes Gold for Italy

Italy’s Asia Pergolesi battled past Poland’s Julia Daniszewska, securing a 3-1 win to take the title thus upsetting the home crowd in the quest for gold.

U21 Kumite Male 84+ kg: Matteo Avanzini Clinches Victory

Matteo Avanzini of Italy dominated the final in the heaviest male category, shutting out Georgia’s Merabi Gelashvili with a 3-0 win.

 

With incredible performances across all categories, the 2025 EKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships concluded as a true celebration of karate. Brilliantly organised by the Polish Karate Union and demonstrating the passion and excitement of the sport, the event showcased the next generation of talent, setting the stage for an exciting future in the sport.

 Relive the finals of the 2025 EKF  Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships on the WKF YouTube channel.

 

2025 EKF CADET, JUNIOR & U21 CHAMPIONSHIPS