Dubrovnik's Rino Vrljić Takes Silver in Skopje
The nineteen-year-old member of Judo Club Fortitudo reached the final in the over 100 kg category without losing a single bout, and now sets his sights on the European Championship in Podgorica.
The nineteen-year-old member of Judo Club Fortitudo reached the final in the over 100 kg category without losing a single bout, and now sets his sights on the European Championship in Podgorica.
Rino Vrljić, a talented judoka from Dubrovnik, won the silver medal at the Junior European Cup held in Skopje on August 8-9, 2026. A member of Judo Club Fortitudo, he competed in the heaviest category, over 100 kilograms, and advanced to the final without a single defeat, confirming his status as one of Europe's top juniors.
At the competition that brought together 317 judokas from 33 countries, the nineteen-year-old Vrljić displayed remarkable maturity and dominance. In a field of 16 competitors in his category, he defeated Turkey's Berat Hidir in the quarterfinals, then won his semifinal against Serbia's Petar Novaković by ippon after just one minute and 17 seconds of fighting.
In the gold medal bout, he was stopped by an in-form Greek, Ioannis Kostelidis. The bronze medals were shared by Mahmutcan Maden of Turkey and Bulgaria's Nikola Markov. This silver represents a significant step up for Vrljić compared to last year's performance at the same tournament, where he took bronze.
This is also the first international medal for the young Dubrovnik native since he began competing for Judo Club Fortitudo and the Croatian national team this year. On the International Judo Federation (IJF) junior world ranking list, Vrljić sits among the top 15 juniors worldwide in the over 100 kg category, and the new points from Skopje will further solidify his position near the top.
"I'm happy with the medal, although I always go for gold. This is my first medal in Fortitudo colors, and I thank the club, the coach, and everyone who follows and supports me," said Rino Vrljić. "Now comes the preparation for the European Championship in Podgorica, where I'm aiming for the highest placement."
Coach Tomislav Marijanović, who led Vrljić in Skopje, was full of praise for his fighter. "Rino put in very mature performances in Skopje and controlled the bouts from the first to the last second. The semifinal against Novaković showed why he is ranked among the best European juniors in the heaviest category," said Marijanović.
He added that the loss in the final does not discourage them. "In the final, Kostelidis was in better form, but with this kind of performance, we head to the European Championship in Podgorica calmly and with ambition," concluded the coach. The Junior European Championship is scheduled from September 3-6, 2026, in the capital of Montenegro.
