French judoka Kaïla Issoufi wins bronze at the European Championships

French judoka Kaïla Issoufi won bronze on Sunday in the -78 kg category at the European Championships in Tbilisi. Issoufi, 25, secured the bronze medal by defeating German Julie Hoelterhoff with two yukos to one. “It’s my first time competing at this level, so I really wanted to win and attack,” she said in an interview with RMC Sport.

After two victories, Issoufi was defeated in the semi-final by the reigning Olympic champion, Italian Alice Bellandi. With a victory at the Tashkent Grand Slam in late February, Issoufi, who moved up from a lower weight class in 2025, is now in contention for a spot in the French quota for the 2028 Olympics, where she will compete against the likes of Audrey Tcheuméo and Madeleine Malonga.

When asked about the new generation of French judokas, Issoufi responded, “We want to show that we are here, that we can also do great things, so we try to shake up the hierarchy as much as possible. I hope it lasts and we can remain consistent until the end.”