Bronze tatami. Third place to applause for the Neapolitan Martina Esposito ad Not now. On his first participation in the Mediterranean Gamesthe judoka born in 2001 goes to the podium, finishing behind the Spanish Ai Tsunoda Roustant and Tunisian Nihel Landolsi. The athlete of the Carabinieri has overtaken the French Kaila Issoufithen suffering the stop with the Slovenian Anka Pogačnik. Road cleared to success, given that the Croatian Lara Cvjetko she was disqualified in the semifinals and definitively excluded from the race.
“I’m happy to be on the podium,” she enthuses Martina Esposito. “I’m certainly not happy with the match I lost in the quarterfinals with the Slovenian, because I could have managed it better, but you learn from mistakes and I found both positive and negative sides, on which I still have to improve”, she admits sincerely. tiger of Scampiawhich aims to detach the pass for the Olympic Games from Paris 2024.
“This medal is just a small brick, which is part of the big wall I want to build. I thank Francesco Bruyerewho followed me in the race and gave me the right energy to make me feel like myself again, the sports group Carabinieri, who always supports me and also my teammates. Thanks to my family, to my mom Doto dad Donato, to my boyfriend Carminewho always support me and endure, alla Star Judo Club and especially my mentor Gianni Maddaloni: I always carry them all in my heart ».
Oran 2022. «It was a wonderful experience, because I had never participated in such an event, similar to the Olympics. I am very happy to have participated in the Mediterranean Games in Algeria»Says the Neapolitan judoka. “Inside the Olympic village, people are very friendly and helpful,” he continues Esposito. “When we took part in the inaugural ceremony, I have never seen so many people excited about an event of this magnitude”, concludes Martina (in the photos by Luca Pagliaricci).
