ATHENS 2014 – EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18
PREVIEW – 3rd DAY
Τhe curtain of the European U18 Championships at the Olympic Center of Ano Liossia will fall on Sunday April 6th with five categories, three for the boys (-81, -90, +90 kg) and two for the girls (-70, +70 kg). The Press Office of the Greek Federation and the European Judo U18 Championships offers a brief analysis of the last five categories.
Note that the analysis is based on the equity that existed in jumas on June 29, 2014.
MEN
-81kg (30 athletes)
A world champion and the first two of the world ranking, consist the backdrop of the -81kg category which is to be held on Sunday. Zaur Ramazanov (RUS) became the world champion at -73kg in Miami in 2013 but he was limited to a meager 7th place in the European championships in Tallinn, also held last year. On the other hand his countryman, Turpal Tepkaev (5th in Miami at -81kg), is the leader of the world rankings with 300 points thanks to first placing in European Cadets Open in Germany, Russia and Turkey.
Between the two Russians is a German, Eduard Trippel, who is in the second place of the world having earned 220 points and is a candidate to win a place on the podium.
Among the names that stand out are those of German Duran (EST, 7th last year in Tallinn at -81kg) and Matthias Casse (BEL) who holds the 6th place in the world rankings.
-90kg (26 athletes)
He may only be ranked 25th in the world rankings, but the only European Cadets Championships medal missing from collection of Daviti Ramazashvili (GEO) is the gold one . The Georgian judoka was second two years ago in Montenegro, achieved 3rd place last year in Tallinn and is now aiming for 3 out of 3, with the hope that this time the color of the medal will be gold!
A compatriot, Giorgi Gvelesiani, with first placing in European Cadets Opens in Poland and Germany is leading the race of the world rankings with a total of 220 points, while Daniel Zorn (GER, 5th in world rankings) and Zelim Kotsoev (UKR, 3rd last year in Tallinn at -90kg kai 4th in the world rankings) will play an important role in the race for medals.
+90 Kg (23 athletes)
Traditionally, the winner of this category for the last four years have come either from Russia (Shakhbazov 2013, Abaev 2011, Yakubov 2010) or Ukraine (Panko 2012) and both Alessandro Graziano (ITA) and Jur Spijkers (NED) will try to put it to a halt. The two judoka holding the 3rd and 5th place respectively in the world rankings have shown that they are capable of being found even on the highest step of the podium in Athens event.
For the time being, however, the first in the world rankings of the 90 kg category is the Russian Vakhid Daurbekov, while fourth is his compatriot Kemal Kaitov. Among the names that also stand out is Ukrainian Leonid Gasyuk, who last year in Tallinn was limited to the 7th place of the overweight category.
WOMEN
-70kg (25 athletes)
This category is among the highlights of the evening, based on the achievements of the female athletes who participate in it. The leading role is expected to be had by Aleksandra Samardzic (BIH, second in the European Championship of Montenegro at -63kg, 2nd in Tallinn at -70kg), Chantal Walhout (NED, fifth in Montenegro at -70kg, seventh in Tallinn at -70kg), Ekaterina Tokareva (RUS, second in Montenegro at -70kg, 3rd in Tallinn at -70kg, 5th in Miami at -70kg, sixth in the world) and Lyudmyla Drozdova (UKR, fifth in Tallinn at -63kg, 5th in Miami at -63kg).
From the aforementioned athletes, none is located in the No. 1 world ranking as this position is held by the German Giovanna Scoccimarro, thanks to her first placings at the European Cadets Open in Germany, Portugal and Croatia.
In the second place of the world rankings stands Semanur Erdogan (TUR), while worth mentioning is also the presence of Petra Opresnik which was seventh at last year’s world championship held in Miami.
+70 Kg (17 athletes)
Only Kamila Pasternak (POL) has had any experience in winning medals in the overweight category of women at the European Cadets Championship , since she was first in Montenegro in 2012 and last year she was second in Tallinn.
Among the favorites for the gold medal is Katarina Lucija Vukovic (CRO) which stands at the first place of the world ranking, being followed by Marina Bukreeva (RUS) and Barbara Cikic (NED) in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
Press Officers HJF – Zeta Theodorakopoulou, Ioannis Hatzidopavlakis