Day two of the Junior World Championships 2024 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, will surely test the competitors on the international stage.
Firstly, the -57kg women will be challenged by the leading three; Bianca REIS (BRA), 2023 World bronze medallist, Beatriz COMANCHE (BRA) and HONDA Riko (JPN). The latter missed out on the gold medal in the 2022 Junior World Championships to Veronica TONIOLO (ITA), but now that she left her junior years behind her, Team Italy will be relying on the likes of Junior European bronze medallist, Michela TERRANOVA and Giulia CARNA.
Carna managed to secure both a Junior European and World title in the -52kg category, but now in a new weight category, she will come in as the underdog, though her abilities have been proven time and time again. Heading the Italian entries however is the current Junior European Champion, Fidan ALIZADA (AZE).
Number one seed, current European Champion and defending Junior World Champion, Vusal GALANDARZADE (AZE) has a whole new competition ahead of him, as the only one from the 2023 podium returning. Within the top eight, only Galandarzade and European silver medallist Dimitar GOSPODINOV (BUL) are representing Europe, contending with Pan America, Africa and Asia. Though they don’t hold seeded places, European bronze medallists from Tallinn, Stansilav RYBIN (ESP) and Victor SKERLEV (BUL) are waiting the wings to overcome their world ranking positions and stand a top the world podium.
Again, Europe can boast a defending World Champion, this time in the -63kg category with Melkia AUCHECORNE (FRA). It wasn’t quite the result she was looking for in the recent European Championships, settling for the bronze, however it will be motivation enough to double up on her world achievements next week. Sara-Joy BAUER (GER) on the other hand left Tallinn a European title holder which has strengthened her position for this edition of the World Championships, coming in as the #5 seed behind Europe’s Joni GEILEN (NED) and Sara CORBO (ITA), as well as Emily Daniela JASPE (USA). Just one place outside the seeding is 2023 World bronze medallist Nina SIMIC (CRO), and even further down, continuing to test the waters in the next age category is Cadet European and World Champion, Sinem ORUC (TUR).
Follow the live draw on JudoTV.com at 14:00 local time (11:00 CET) on Tuesday 1st of October.
Author: Thea Cowen