Writing history in the 2022 European Junior Championships
Badminton Association of Serbia | 08/29/2022
The 27th edition of the European Junior Championships is now over and we have our new champions.
It’s been a long time since the first-ever European Junior Championships were hosted, back in 1969 in Voorburg, The Netherlands. Ever since then, we have seen countless young talents demonstrating the upcoming talent that Europe has to offer on the continent’s biggest stage.
Alex Lanier, France, continues adding more titles to his already considerably big collection at only 17 years of age. The two players inaugurated the finals day and despite Jakob Houe’s efforts, the Frenchman couldn’t be stopped as he won the match 21-18 21-12.
Having won the European U15 Championships back in 2018, and the European U17 Championships title last year, this completes the three possible titles to win before the European Championships, in which he took part this year.
Men’s singles silver medallist Jakob Houe had also won the gold in the 2018 European U15 Championships, although with Christian Faust Kjær in men’s doubles. The duo have done it again, this time in the European Juniors.
The Danes played the final against Daniel Franco/ Ruben Garcia who did not play in the semifinals yesterday, where they should have played against another Danish duo, Hjalte Johansen/ Jeppe Søby due to a walkover. Houe/ Kjær secured a win in straight games 21-12 21-12, taking home the gold.
In the women’s singles final match, England’s Lisa Curtin and Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova played each other for the first time. It was a great first game for Curtin as she won 21-14. However, Nalbantova pushed even harder to make a great comeback, winning the next two games 21-17 21-16, winning the gold just as she did last year at the U17 tournament.
Jarne Schlevoigt/ Julia Meyer, Germany, and Lucas Renoir/ Tea Margueritte, France, were to fight for the gold in the mixed doubles. The German pair struggled in the first game, losing 6-21. They bounced back in the second game, but Renoir/ Margueritte were just as sharp and won the medal in two games.
The last match of the day was that of Lisa Curtin/ Estelle Van Leeuwen, England, and Nikol Carulla/ Lucia Rodriguez, Spain. The English pair started off taking the lead but the Spaniards eventually caught up and won the encounter 21-19 21-16.
After winning European Junior medals, the next stop for many of these young stars will be the European Championships. It will be exciting to see how the future of these upcoming stars develops in the next few years.
Men’s Singles
1. Alex Lanier (FRA)
2. Jakob Houe (DEN)
3. Christian Faust Kjær (DEN)
3. Dominik Kwinta (POL)
Women’s Singles
1. Kaloyana Nalbantova (BUL)
2. Lisa Curtin (ENG)
3. Nella Nyqvist (FIN)
3. Benedicte Sillassen (DEN)
Men’s Doubles
1. Jakob Houe/ Christian Faust Kjær (DEN)
2. Daniel Franco/ Ruben Garcia (ESP)
3. Natan Begga/ Baptiste Labarthe (FRA)
3. Hjalte Johansen/ Jeppe Søby (DEN)
Women’s Doubles
1. Nikol Carulla/ Lucia Rodriguez (ESP)
2. Lisa Curtin/ Estelle Van Leeuwen (ENG)
3. Lucie Amiguet/ Vera Appenzeller (SUI)
3. Emma Irring Braüner/ Sofie Røjkjær (DEN)
Mixed Doubles
1. Lucas Renoir/ Tea Margueritte (FRA)
2. Jarne Schelvoigt/ Julia Meyer (GER)
3. Hjalte Johansen/ Emma Irring Braüner (DEN)
3. Jeppe Søby/ Sofie Røjkjær (DEN)