A dream that unites Lugo, Madrid and Tokyo and that passes through Doha to bring the walled city closer to the Olympic Games. He Judo Lugo will take to the Qatari capital its two main figures: Sara Álvarez and Estrella López Sheriff. There the Masters is held where the 36 best in the ranking will look for points that contribute to the ticket for the appointment that will be held between July 23 and August 8.
The two arrive in a good moment of form for the Qatari appointment, especially Estrella López (@estrellajudo on Instagram), who is the current continental bronze medal in the category of less than 52 kilos after her third place in the European held in Prague on November 19.
“Judo is quite rare to say the level of form because it depends on many factors, how you are that day, the draw for the draw, your mistakes or those of others … In the European I had a good competition and had many months training “, declares López Sheriff.
“It is the first time that I participate in the Doha Masters. It is a great competition because they are the first 36 of the world ranking, so you do not find a single loose fight. From the beginning there is a lot of war and it is one of the most colorful championships because there is a lot of level, “he says.
The Madrilenian arrives in great form after winning bronze at the Prague European Championship held in November
The key for Estrella López and Sara Álvarez –who will participate in more than 78 kilos– will be to go step by step, have a good draw –they are not seeded– and get their best judo. “You have to go fight to fight. There is no draw until the day of the weigh-in, which is the day before the start of the competition, so I can’t say if I like what I get or not. Then I will have to face whatever there is. And that’s it. My expectations are to get to a medal. All the fights are actually a final. That’s how I think about it “, assesses the Madrid Judo Lugo.
This test contributes a good number of points for the ranking of the International Judo Federation. The best eighteen – with a single seat for each country, so in the case of several judokas from the same country among those 18 their federation must choose – will get the direct ticket to Tokyo. For Judo Lugo it would be important that both achieve a good result and be able to be in the Games this summer.
“For the club it will be good in terms of image, motivation for the kids and everything,” he says. “It would be brutal for Judo Lugo if Sara (Álvarez) and I could attend the Games. Sara has it quite well to qualify (she is the first Spanish in the ranking in 29th place). I think that in this competition she can be decisive and If he does a good performance, that he can achieve it, he will be inside “, says Estrella López.
The passport for Tokyo is a little more complicated for Estrella (29 of the ranking), since she has the Spanish Ana Pérez Box in seventh place. “For the Olympic classification I am not badly placed, the problem is that there is a Spanish in my weight who is well placed,” he assures, although he will not throw in the towel. “I have to be there until the end,” he emphasizes.
The Madrilenian left her federation to sign for Judo Lugo after having family in the city and getting to know the club. “I had some squabbles with the Madrid Federation because I consider that they do not take sufficient care of their athletes. My great-aunt lives in Lugo and the Galician Federation also works very well, gives a lot of support to its athletes, both financially and personally. In Lugo I knew Sara (Álvarez) and Iván (Carballeira) and I spoke with them and I always felt very comfortable. It is a humble but very good club, “he asserts.
An odyssey to train because of the coronavirus
“When we were able to move, two of my colleagues came to train with me in Almería, we got some tatamisAlthough it became heavy because a coach could not train us, but each day one of us prepared the training so as not to get so tired. We also had some online training and it became more enjoyable, “he revealed.
POSITIVE IN COVID-19. When they returned to the High Performance Center (CAR) in Madrid, he tested positive for covid and ended up training in Portugal due to the restrictions in the CAR.
“In Madrid, eight of us caught the covid. We don’t know how, because we didn’t train with contact. After passing it without problem, I went to Portugal because in the CAR there were a lot of restrictions and judo could hardly be done. There we were in one bubble, with the number one Brazilian judo team. So we were able to stay for a few months. I’m tired of living with a suitcase on my back but happy with the experience. “
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