Luigi Centracchio is the brother of Maria, the judoka from Molise who won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The boy, 19 years old, achieved the first world championship podium of his career at the Junior World Championships and canceled the disappointment he suffered for fifth place at the European Championships.
Luigi Centracchio after the bronze conquest (image taken from the official website of the federation)
The bronze medal is the first world champion of her career. Luigi Centracchio won it on the second day of the Junior Judo World Championships. The eyes shining with satisfaction and emotion, the embrace full of affection are the last snapshots of a position sought, lost and resumed when the qualifying course had become a difficult mountain to climb, obtained in the category up to 73 kg , redeeming the disappointment of the Europeans. At the Geopalace in Olbia (Sardinia) the men’s podium is paired with the string of medals strung around the neck on the first day by fellow judoka.
The bronze of Luigi, 19, from Molise, has a particular value. His surname, Centracchio, is like a déjà vu, a flashback that brings back the memory to last summer when, on the carpet of the Tokyo Olympics, his sister Maria snatched the same result (63 kg category). “A life of sacrifices”, said the blue who immediately wanted to call the family receiving the compliments of the parents (“you are strong darling, we love you”) and the virtual kiss of the partner in video call (“my love…”).
Today’s result gives us immense happiness – he admitted Maria Centracchio after the trial of his brother, Luigi-. Winning a medal is nice and pays off for the journey. I know how difficult it is to get to the bottom of situations like these and I am very proud of this great result.
The conquest of the bronze proved to be a sort of very treacherous obstacle course. After risking elimination in the first round with American Dominic Rodriguez, Luigi Centracchio won the Pool final by beating Erzhan Kanatbekov for hansoku make. In the quarterfinals he was defeated by Adrian Sulca for ippon, carving out a space in the repechage board with two victories for hansoku make over the Brazilian Gabriel Falcao and the French Joan-Benjamin Gaba (disqualified for illegal technique).
