Bronze for Elena Dengg: Judo talent triumphs in Spain!

Bronze for Elena Dengg: Judo talent triumphs in Spain!

Elena Dengg from the Sanjindo Bischofshofen judo club won the bronze medal in the -70 kg weight class at the European Open in Benidorm, Spain. This award marks her second World Cup medal in the General Class and is a significant achievement on her path to the 2028 Olympics. She traveled to Spain along with three other judoka from the Sanjindo team to compete in both the World Cup tournament and an international training camp. Meanwhile, Thomas Scharfetter (-90 kg) was unable to take part in the competition due to an injury, but was present at the training camp. Maria Höllwart (+78 kg) was eliminated in round three and took seventh place. Michael Niederdorfer (-100 kg) was also eliminated in round three after losing to eventual fifth-place finisher Schell Joes of the Netherlands.

Dengg previously won her first major medal at a World Cup tournament in Hungary, where she won bronze and was able to break into the international judo scene. At this tournament she had a bye in the first round, then defeated the Ukrainian Videneieva and lost in the quarterfinals to the Dutch De Voogd. In the repechage round she fought back by winning against the Swiss Lengweiler and thus qualified for the bronze fights. She won the decisive fight against the Frenchwoman Jarrot. In her first competition under the new U21/23 coach Jaromir Jezek, Dengg showed a strong performance.

Domestic league and further commitment

While the main team fought at the European Open, the Sanjindo farm team started the new season of the Salzburg State League and achieved a 7:7 draw against the Hallein/Tennengau judo team. The points for the farm team were scored by Philipp Hacksteiner (2), Noah Hausbacher (2), Jakob Dengg (2) and Michael Hacksteiner (1). This shows that the Sanjindo Bischofshofen judo club is also actively involved at other competition levels.

Elena Dengg set a clear course for her judo career on May 21, 2025. After her success in Spain, she is now preparing for the home Grand Prix in Linz, which will take place in about a month. Their continued progress and achievements suggest a promising future. The most recent bronze medal is also proof of her tireless commitment and the potential that she can develop in the international judo scene.