Judoka Elena Dengg:

“I’ve learned that you should never give up”

Elena Dengg won gold at the U23 European Championships in Poland on Saturday.(Bild: EJU/Carlos Ferreira; Judo Austria)

Within six weeks, judoka Elena Dengg achieved the two biggest successes of her career. The U21 World Championship title in Tajikistan was followed by the U23 European Championship title in Pila (Poland) on Saturday. The 20-year-old spoke to "Krone" about the past season and the lessons she has learned from it.

"Krone": Elena, to what extent did you expect to win the gold medal at the U23 European Championships?
Elena Dengg: Of course I go to every tournament with the aim of winning it. I knew that I could win it. But for a gold medal, everything has to go 100 percent right and it always takes a bit of luck. In judo, even a small mistake can get you thrown.

Many people now expect such success from you. How do you deal with this expectation and to what extent do you have high expectations of yourself?
I was very nervous, especially before the first fight. That's also because a lot of people expect success from me. You also have these expectations of yourself. But it helps me when I realize that people only have these expectations of me because I have already celebrated successes and that I therefore have what it takes to win medals.

Where would you place the European Championship victory in your personal ranking?
Definitely in second place behind the Junior World Championship title (in Tajikistan in October, please note). Mainly because I won the title in the U23 category, but I was actually still competing in the U21 category this year.

On the one hand, the season was very successful. On the other hand, you also had to contend with a few injuries. What lessons have you learned from 2024?
That you should never give up. There were times this year when I asked myself why I was doing all this to myself, as I was actually just going from one injury to the next. But when you stand at the top of the podium at the end and hear the anthem, you remember why you invested so much.

Do you have a special place at home for the medals? How much space is left?
My medals are all at home. After the World Championships, I recently got a medal holder from my mom that hangs in our home. And there's still a bit of space there. Otherwise, my mom has already said that she'd like to buy me a second one.

What's next for you? Is that it for 2025?
The competition season is over for me this year. I don't start competing again until the end of January.

How will you use the time off from competitions?
Competition-free doesn't mean training-free. I have a week's vacation next week. Then I'm going to Linz for sports medicine tests. Then in December I'll be on a three-week training camp in Japan with ESV Sanjindo Bischofshofen.