The first day of the Paks Junior European Cup 2024 saw the host nation celebrate a single success via Gabor Aron who won the -66kg category. It was a victory that deserved to be celebrated, as this hasn’t been the best year for Gabor so far. After a 5th place in Lignano and a 7th place in Slovenj Gradec, the 19-year-old judoka was finally able to claim victory, an achievement he’s no stranger to, having already achieved the same in Italy last year. To say that you are relieved is an understatement, right?
Absolutely. It was a very difficult day because I recently had an operation, I broke two bones and I am still not fully functional. I can’t grip properly. Taking all that into consideration, I am very happy with this gold medal.
You had five fights that were, as we can now understand, quite challenging. Which was the toughest?
The hardest fights were certainly against my own team-mates because we have known each other for years and we know each other inside out, so it is always more difficult to win and I think it comes down to who is more focused and who can find the right moment.
How much of a boost did competing on home soil give you today?
The home crowd meant a lot, I could feel everyone cheering and my family came out to cheer, which gave me an extra boost. But I was really looking forward to singing the anthem in front of my parents. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time.
Does today’s success mean a ticket to the Junior European Championships? If so, how will the rest of the preparations go?
Certainly, as well as for the Junior World Championships. As far as the preparation is concerned, I believe we have one more event and a training camp to go. Being a teammate of Toth Krisztian, alongside him and with the guidance of our coach, Panczel Gabor, I am in the fortunate situation of being part of an Olympic preparation and with that I know that my preparation for the Junior Europeans and Worlds will also be maximised.
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Images: Molnar Gyula
Author: Szandra Szogedi