Slovakian judoka Patricia Tomankova enjoyed a medal-laden summer in 2023 which has led to her being shortlisted for the Piotr Nurowski Prize.

After winning her country’s first judo European Championships medal in 20 years in Odivelas, Portugal, she won gold at the European Youth Olympic Festival(EYOF) Maribor 2023 and at the World Championships Cadets in Zagreb. She now has her sights firmly set on being an Olympic champion.

Patricia said: “There are many things that motivate me to succeed in judo – my biggest motivation is clearly the Olympic Games. After my gold medal at the European Championships, which was the first medal for Slovakia in 20 years, I really want to bring another rare medal to Slovakia, but this time from the Olympics.”