On Wednesday and Thursday the Junior European Cup will take place in the Palaindoor Ovidio Bernes in Udine. It is a great test in advance of the Junior European Championships in Luxembourg in four weeks time. 353 athletes from 32 nations are gathered in Udine. One of the remarkable people present at the European Cup is not a judoka but the Olympic referee Roberta Chyurlia, who was one of the most researched profiles in JudoInside of the last two weeks among all judo stars.
The Italian Olympian is considered as one of the best referees on the planet and she would like to officiate the Juniors in Udine.
Chyurlia: “I wanted to be in Udine – said Roberta Chyurlia – also to personally thank the EJU Commission which contributed to my growth and my result. I started with them and it will be an honor for me to referee with them after the Games. But another great honor for me will be refereeing with my husband after so many years that didn’t happen, especially in an international competition.”
The event organized by Judo Kuroki Tarcento therefore returns, which twice had been forced to stop by the pandemic situation, but can now finale take place which is important for the juniors. The Junior European Championships take place at 9-12 September in Luxembourg and the Junior Worlds take place in Italy’s Olbia at 6-10 October.
Chyurlia was an athlete herself at this junior level. She took a silver medal at the Italian Championships U20 Ostia in 1998 in the category U70kg. She became an IJF referee just like father Pasquale Tonino Chyurlia and officiated IJF World Tour events including finals and now also at Olympic level. Roberta’s mother was a judoka and won a National Championship bronze when she was just a baby. Roberta was elected most Progressive European Female Referee 2017 and 2018. In Italy she is a lawyer. She was awarded as most progressive progressive European Female Referee 2017, 2018 and 2020.