Cologne (SID) – The German judoka are starting the European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, with three Olympic medal winners. Podium places are the goal. “I expect everyone to be 100 percent there,” said men’s national coach Pedro Guedes: “The goal is open.” Overall, the team of the German Judo Federation (DJB) is represented by 15 fighters from Friday.
For the men, hopes for a medal rest particularly on Igor Wandtke in the class up to 73 kilos and the brothers Karl-Richard (up to 100 kg) and Johannes Frey (over 100 kg). The trio won bronze with the team at the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo. In addition to the internationally experienced fighters, national coach Guedes also relies on young athletes, such as the 22-year-old Losseni Kone, who should gain their first experience at a major event.
There are no Olympians in the DJB squad for women. The experienced Luise Malzahn thinks she has the best chances of winning a medal. She is aiming for the first title in the class up to 78 kilos in her tenth participation in the European Championships. “We’ve been working for a long time and I hope that the women will be passionate about the European Championships,” said national coach Claudiu Pusa, looking ahead to the title fights.
