World Judo Masters in Doha, the Italians Giuffrida and Lombardo out in the first round

After a long wait, the World Judo Masters has finally arrived. And today in Doha, in the Lusail Multipurpose Hall, the races with the lightest categories started, two men (60 and 66 kg) and three women (48, 52 and 57 kg). Of the blues it was immediately the turn of two of our 90 pieces, Manuel Lombardo number 1 in the world ranking and winner of the previous Master in the 66 kg and Odette Giuffrida, fourth in the ranking and more or less fresh from the European title, read Prague, 19 November 2020. But having such a high expectation made it more difficult to accept the two defeats: in the 52 kg Odette was sanctioned with disqualification in the match with the Spanish Estrella Lopez Sheriff, while Manuel Lombardo was overtaken by the Moldovan Denis Vieru.

GIUFFRIDA

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Unfortunately, it did not go as well as we wanted and hoped for, perhaps also to forget the difficulties and limitations of a terrible period for everyone. And to think that Odette’s start was super-brilliant, suggesting the best chances when the meeting with Lopez Sheriff just started and she got it with a wazari-rated “de ashi barai”. Not even ten seconds and everything already seemed more than fine. Then Odette, who did not change her attitude by managing as the champion she is, led an attack when the clock showed a minute and a half from the start. The attack in which you grab the sleeve of the judogi and turn your back to the opponent to load it and then make it fall is a specialty of Odette, so much so that he scored it several times also in Prague, on the occasion of that triumphal day when she scrambled, among others, Estrella Lopez Sheriff herself. Too bad this time the second hold escaped or failed to grab the collar and the Spaniard who instinctively parried, found herself with her arm slightly extended. It is a pity that, regardless of why and how you get there, the action is sanctioned with disqualification. And the Odette Masters is over. “Odette was very well – said the blue coach Francesco Bruyere – during the warm-up I saw her lucid, reactive and present as in the best occasions and she confirmed it in the initial stages of the match. Unfortunately on the attack on her knees she lost a hold and trying to finish the same she doubled her grip on the same arm, at the same time the Spaniard threw herself on the opposite side: the result was an attack at the limit of the regulation that earned her disqualification. I’m sorry because I had excellent sensations but certainly, as for Manuel in Prague, there is work to be done on that attack so that it will be the first and last time it happens to her ”.

LOMBARDO

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There is not much to complain even for Manuel Lombardo who, with Denis Vieru, made an excellent match as it can be when two champions face each other. Neither of them was able to prevail over the other and we went to the golden score, another 3 minutes and 40 minutes passed before Manuel Lombardo exhausted even the last drop of energy and gave in to Vieru’s attack. “We saw Manuel tired and the reasons can be multiple – Bruyere stressed – certainly Vieru is a tough opponent for his type of judo and this has led to a long and very physical match, but it cannot be a justification, there are 6 missing. months to the main goal and we have to adjust our aim to present ourselves in the best conditions ”.

RESULTS

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First results. 60 kg: 1) Kim Won Jin (Kor), 2) Yang Yung Wei (Tpe), 3) Alberto Oguzov (Rus) e Tornike Tsjakadoea (Ned); 66 kg: 1) An Baul (Kor), 2) Baruch Shmailov (Isr), 3) Aram Grigoryan (Rus) and Vazha Margvelashvili (Geo); 48 kg: 1) Distria Krasniqi (Kos), 2) Funa Tonaki (Jpn), 3) Urantsetseg Munkhbat (Mgl) and Daria Bilodid (Ukr); 52 kg: 1) Amandine Buchard (Fra), 2) Ai Shishime (Jpn), 3) Astride Gneto (Fra) and Majlinda Kelmendi (Kos); 57 kg: 1) Tsukasa Yoshida (Jpn), 2) Sarah leonie Cysique (Fra), 3) Nora Gjakova (Kos) and Jessica Klimkait (Can).