The Hellenic Judo Championship, which opened its doors yesterday, Saturday, in the northern Peloponnesus’ city Loutraki offered great spectacle to the many fans who attended the games. The high technical level of both the older and the younger athletes, who competed in the Championship, constitutes a great proof of the progress that the Greek judo has made during the last years and, in particular, after the 2004 Olympic Games of Athens. The competitiveness of the country’s judokas has improved a lot in both national and international levels and the interest in the sport has grown after a great number of notable and successful participations of the Greek team in international organizations.
The athletic center of Loutraki was flooded by hundreds of the sport’s friends who opted to watch the games and vitalize the athletes’ efforts. In fact, this year the media coverage and the public interest in the event increased more than ever, another proof of the big steps which have been made in the section of promotion as well as in the competitive level. More than 300 athletes from 50 unions, including many champions among them, presented their athletic skills drawing exciting feelings and powerful emotions.
“We were glad to watch some of the top names of the international judo competing in a national event. Year after year, the Hellenic Championship increases its prestige among judo’s people and that’s why more judokas and unions participate at the games. The Championship constitutes the greatest conclusion of this year’s efforts which offered many successes to the Greek world of sports. The Ilias Iliadis’ international silver medal and the five European medals which we collected are some examples”, the president of the Hellenic Judo’s Federation, Vangelis Soufleris, said.
“Filipos Amindaiou” and “Olympionikis” dominated in all categories
The finals brought at the top spot of all men’s categories the union “Filippos Amindaiou”. Its athletes won six of the eight finals. More specifically, Lavrentios Alexanidis (-66 kg), Baza Zintiridis (-81 kg), Theodoros Masmanidis (-90 kg), Dionisios Iliadis (-100 kg), Vasilios Iliadis (+100 kg, open) were on the highest spot of the pedestal confirming the union’s domination in the sport. Ilias Kotomanidis and Alexandros Tsopozidis who competed as members of the union “Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti” collected the gold medal in the -60 kg and -73 kg categories, respectively.
In the women’s categories the collection of the unions’ medals presented bigger disparity, though the “Olympionikis” union, achieved to win the greatest number of medals. Stefania Moutsou, Reveka Kapetanopoulou and Maria Karagiannopoulou (“Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti”) were the gold winners of the -48, -52, and -57 kg categories. Ioulieta Mpoukouvala (“Panellinios”), after almost eight months of absence, made a dynamic come back, dominating once again, the -63 kg and the open categories. Angeliki Vasilopoulou (O.T.N.F.) stood on the highest spot of the -70 kg category, Elpida Aslanidou (“Sakura”) came first at the -78 kg and finally, the winner of the +78 kg was Vasiliki Lymperopoulou (“G.A.S. Kalyvion”).
All these beautiful victories, ten months before the Olympic Games of Beijing, increase the Greek judo team’s expectations for the sport’s future and the potential medal collections during the important competitions which are following. In conclusion, this Championship will leave its mark as one of the most successful of the last years.
Hellenic Championship
Winner List
MEN
-60
1
Ilias Kotomanidis
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
2
Vasilis Moutsos
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
3
Manolis Savidis
Victoria A.O.
Spartakos Tselaridis
Victoria A.O.
-66
1
Lavrentios Alexanidis
Filippos Amindeou
2
Konstantinos Kvasilava
Filippos Amindeou
3
Besik Aslannisvili
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
Georgios Giankanidis
Mirmanis Xanthis
-73
1
Alexandros Tsopozidis
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
2
Aris Kotanidis
Megas Alexandros Amindeo
3
Tariel Zintiridis
Filippos Amindeou
Grigoris Nazarov
Victoria A.O.
-81
1
Vaza Zintiridis
Filippos Amindeou
2
Leonidas Iliadis
Mirmanis Xanthis
3
Arthuros Kavafidis
Filippos Amindeou
Grigorios Kriaridis
Argaios Filota
-90
1
Theodoros Masmanidis
Filippos Amindeou
2
Moisis Iliadis
Filippos Amindeou
3
Grigorios Votikas
Budo Club
Nikos Drakontidis
A.O.N.A.
-100
1
Dionysios Iliadis
Filippos Amindeou
2
Ilias Iliadis M
Filippos Amindeou
3
Christos Keletzian
Athlitis
Georgios Mpounias
Ethnikos
+100
1
Vasilios Iliadis
Filippos Amindeou
2
Michalis Alexiadis
Mirmanis Xanthis
3
Georgios Andreadis
Filippos Amindeou
Souren Yumukian
Filippos Amindeou
Open
1
Vasilios Iliadis
Filippos Amindeou
2
Dionysios Iliadis
Filippos Amindeou
3
Michalis Alexiadis
Mirmanis Xanthis
Arthouros Kavafidis
Filippos Amindeou
Hellenic Championship
Winner List
Women
-48
1
Stefania Moutsou
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
2
Konstantina Kliari
Promitheas Larisas
-52
1
Reveka Kapetanopoulou
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
2
Maria Savidou
Olympiaki Elpida
3
Evangelitsa Efkarpidi
Mithridatis
Maria Tselaridou
Victoria A.O.
-57
1
Maria Karagiannopoulou
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
2
Anastasia Sarantopoulou
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
3
Vasiliki Alexiou
Olympionikis Ag. I. Renti
Ioanna Mpounia
Ethnikos
-63
1
Ioulieta Mpoukouvala
Panellinios
2
Dimitra Androutsou
Nikiforos Anatolis
3
Agoro Papavasiliou
Digenis Akritas Serron
-70
1
Angeliki Vasilopoulou
O.T.N.F.
2
Euthimia Pitta
Olympios
3
Sofia Georgiadou
Ethnikos
Ekaterini Xanthopoulou
Zygos Rodou
-78
1
Elpida Aslanidou
Sakura
2
Christina Kantarakia
Floga Rodou
3
Alexia Kourtelesi
Polydamas
Garyfalia Tzavara
A. S. Judo Pavlo Viotia
+78
1
Vasiliki Lumperopoulou
G.A.S. Kalyvion
2
Anna Symentaridou
Klitomahos
3
Sofia Papadopoulou
Mirmanis Xanthis
Open
1
Ioulieta Mpoukouvala
Panellinios
2
Vasiliki Lymperopoulou
G.A.S. Kalyvion
3
Elpida Aslanidou
Sakura
Angeliki Vasilopoulou
O.T.N.F.