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Pförring: Judo: Seidl qualified for the Olympics

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But although the Pförringer was eliminated from the tournament in the second round, his performance was enough for his big goal: The 30-year-old qualified for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Seidl himself says full of euphoria: “I’ve been a happy person since Monday.”

Albashi Abdulaziz from Saudi Arabia was the ideal opponent for Seidl (-66 kg) at the start of the World Cup: “Neither overpowering nor weak, but I was sure at every point in the fight that I would win,” explains the Pförringer. Halfway through the time, Seidl threw a rating, which he then managed “loosely”. In round two of the World Cup, Manuel Lombardo (Italy), the world number leader, was waiting for the Pförringer. But Seidl was able to put his opponent under pressure: “I was relaxed and was rather looking forward to the fight. A real yardstick for the Olympics,” says the 30-year-old. The tactics worked out with the national coach took effect immediately: “I dominated until 14 seconds before the end of the four-minute fight, then Lombardo landed a lucky hit and was visibly relieved. I made life very difficult for him,” said Seidl, who despite the early WM-Aus speaks of a “huge fight” on his part and is satisfied with the tournament.

And rightly so, because after none of his direct Olympic competitors had reached more than round three at the World Cup, Seidl’s qualification for Tokyo was finally on the dry side after three years of anxiety and torment. “A big load fell off my shoulders. That’s really, really awesome, and I’ve been walking around with a grin on my face all day,” says Seidl, who is now experiencing his second Olympic Games in Tokyo after Rio 2016.

The World Cup was actually not a good star for judoka. A disappointing European Championship in November was followed by bad news in the spring of this year. Seidl was sick with Corona. Now, weeks later, it is clear that the subsequent agony was worth it. “It was so upset to fight after the Corona illness and the intensive training camps. The national coaches were also surprised. Nobody would have thought that I would return so fit so quickly.” bts, Photo: private

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