Lenia Ruvalcaba was in fifth place and added points to the ranking towards Tokyo 2020; This fair was the penultimate contest of qualification for the Paralympic Games
Drafting
The triple medalist of the Paralympic Games, Eduardo Adrián Ávila Sánchez, won the bronze medal, in the -81 Kg category, in the 2021 IBSA Baku Judo Grand Prix, which was held in Azerbaijan, this Wednesday, which was the penultimate qualifying competition for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
“It was an acceptable result, not the best, but we obtained a medal and that was the objective, to climb further in the ranking,” said Eduardo Ávila, in a telephone interview.
The judoka for the blind and visually impaired explained that so far the next qualifying competition, the 2021 Warwick Grand Prix, which is scheduled to take place in Great Britain on June 19 and 20, is still standing, being the last competition that awards points to the ranking.
“I had four fights, I won the first against Brazil and the second against Great Britain, I lost to Uzbekistan and defeated Kazakhstan in the playoffs, it was a good result after so long in detention and with so many obstacles that have arisen, it was possible and we still can. and we have to do something better ”, highlighted Eduardo Ávila, who with this medal will raise his place in the ranking of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, in which the first eight places will qualify.
For her part, the Paralympic Games champion in Rio 2016, Lenia Ruvalcaba, passed bye in the first round of the -70 Kg category and in the second match she defeated Raziye Ulucam of Turkey, in the third match she fell to Azerbaijan and in the Repechage lost against Georgia, which also managed to add points to the ranking towards Tokyo 2020.
“It did not go well for me, I was in fifth, I felt out of rhythm, but we continue to score points and that is what can be redeemed,” acknowledged the two-time Parapan American champion, after her first competition after a year of hiatus, due to the covid-19 pandemic. 19.
After their participation, both champions return to Mexico to continue their preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
