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“I was very close to gold and I will fight for it again”

The Aragonese Sergio Ibáñez has just won a silver medal in judo at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Back in Spain, after passing through Zaragoza, he joined the Blume Residence in Madrid, the epicenter of Spanish elite sport.

They say that silver exudes a contradictory flavor …

A silver medal is a silver medal. But, of course, you don’t like to lose in a final, when you have the gold so close.

In your case, in addition to what, you have to talk about how …

Are you referring to the controversy over the decision of the winner of the fight?

Yes. The victory of the Uzbek with an unpronounceable name (Uchkun Kuranbaev) was not at all clear.

I, from the utmost respect to the rival and the judges, I have to say that, in my opinion, the fight was not well decided. There is an action with 15 seconds to go in which I think I scored, and they didn’t want to review it.

Is there also VAR in judo, like in soccer?

Yes, the actions can be reviewed. I did a ‘waza-ari’, which means to score a point, and they didn’t give it. With an ‘ippon’ you win directly. In the combat there was no ‘ippon’.

And the turning point they awarded him?

I would not have conceded it. Lost control. It was not a clear action. Also, the point was given to me at the beginning and then, from the table, they changed it. We went to complain and the final decision was not justified. Before, we were also very upset that they didn’t want to see decisive action on my behalf.

What a task, Sergio …

I was very close to gold and I will fight for it again. I have been fighting for this goal since I got on the mat at the age of eight. Before, I practiced swimming, but I gave it up for judo. My parents wanted me to do sports and they took me to the ONCE gym in Zaragoza. He lived and studied in Alagón. My parents, Enrique and Cati, and my brothers, Omar and Tatiana, have always supported me.

How was your studies going?

Well. I studied until ESO in Alagón. Later, in the Ítaca of Zaragoza and Santo Domingo de Silos. Now I am doing the second year of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

How wonderful, Sergio.

Despite being 78 percent visually impaired, I have hardly ever needed help and have been on my own.

You would have to see me … Because who is not disabled in something …?

Good question. In Paralympic judo, depending on the degree of blindness, there are three categories: B1, people with total blindness; B2, perceive shapes and luminosity; and B3, athletes who can define images. I compete in B3. Due to visual impairment, we fight holding hands, not as in an absolute category, where the fight starts separately. Speaking of absolute category, I was also absolute runner-up in Spain.

Amazing! He has beaten top level rivals without visual impairment! And how did he see the rival?

At a close distance, starting the fight at a meter or two, I can see. Thus, overcoming so many handicaps, I won the silver medal in 2018 and the bronze in 2020 in the absolute Spanish Championship fighting against rivals without disabilities. I also train with judokas without disabilities.

Well, if you don’t become disabled, you …

I have done well (smiles). At the age of 15 I was already double champion of Spain and in 2019 I won the silver medal in the World Games for the Blind and the bronze in the European Judo for the Blind.

And after all this you are telling me, what is there left for you to do?

I am barely 22 years old. I want to finish my career and be a coach at the CAR (High Performance Center). The Paralympic Games in Tokyo have been a great experience. I have a long way to go.

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