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As always, the Mixed Team European Championships is a huge celebration, the atmosphere in Podgorica, Montenegro was incredible during the preliminaries, and some big surprises made it all the more entertaining! For the first time, Belgium entered a team and in incredible fashion, defeated France in the repechage round to advance to the bronze medal round.
For the first of the semi finals, Irina ZUEVA (IJF) was first up to take on the current World Champion, Odette GIUFFRIFDA (ITA) in the -57kg contest. It was a long battle but in the end, Giuffrida put the first win on the board for Team Italy with some ashi waza. Round two was the -73kg category, Giovanni ESPOSITO (ITA) came hard for the current European Champion, Danil LAVRENTEV and after biding his time, anticipating an uchi mata attack from Lavrentev, countered for a huge ippon, putting Italy further ahead. Finally bringing the IJF Team back in the running was Daria ANTONOVA, scoring with a drop seoi nage in the first minute, Irene PEDROTTI worked solidly until the final seconds but was unable to pull it back.
Mansur LORSANOV was then challenged to level the score against Italy’s Kenny Komi BEDEL, but as the pair delved in to golden score, it was clear Bedel had the edge on conditioning. Lorsanov attempted a ko soto gari but not with enough force, allowing Bedel to counter with with o uchi gari.
Only one more win stood in the way of Italy taking the place in the final of the European Mixed Team Championships, and it was for Asya TAVANO to claim it. Elis STARTSEVA (IJF) didn’t make it easy by any means, but an o uchi gari brought her a score, then she transitioned immediately in to ne waza and the submission.
The next semi final saw Georgia take on Germany, and the first contest was a rematch of the -57kg final between Eteri LIPARTELIANI and Seija BALLHAUS. It was clear Liparteliani was coming to right her wrong, disappointed to leave Podgorica with a silver medal, and determined not to let her team suffer the same fate. It was a quick, ten-second contest, Ballhaus looked to go for a ura nage, however Liparteliani was the one in control and threw with o uchi gari for ippon. No time was wasted in the -73kg contest between Mikheili BAKHBAKHASHVILI and Igor WANDTKE, Georgia’s Bakhbakhashvili scored waza ari with koshi guruma in seven seconds, and not too long after executed a colossal front uchi mata, one Khabareli would be proud of!
Mariam TCHANTURIA (GEO) continued in the same trend, claiming yuko with uchi mata in the opening exchange, however she was taken the full four minutes by Dena POHL before Georgia could celebrate a third win. Luka MAISURADZE immediately felt the threat of Timo CAVELIUS, who was aiming to prevent a clean sweep, and it looked possible that Cavelius was capable, but in golden score, Maisuradze picked him from the ground and scored with ura nage. 4-0 to Georgia!
Belgium will meet Germany for the bronze, and IJF Team will face Türkiye, the latter defeated Austria in their repechage round.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen