Judo World Championship: Michi Polleres is seventh in the World Championship

She gets important Olympic points for Paris 2024

Tashkent/Uzbekistan was the venue of this year’s World Championships in Judo. Last year figurehead Michi Polleres was able to win a World Championship medal for Austria for the first time after an 11-year dry spell.
This year she was seeded up to 70 kg as number 6 and initially had a bye in round 1. In round 2 against SOBIERAJSKA Katarzyna from Poland she won the golden score overtime with Wazaari. Against the German MAEKELBURG Sarah in round 3 she managed the decisive ippon for arm bars shortly before the end of the regular fight time and brought her straight into the quarterfinals. The Japanese NIIZOE Saki scored a wazaari for haraigoshi (hip sweep) right from the first contact. On that day, Michi couldn’t find a plan against the three-time Grand Slam winner and consequently lost 3:2 on penalties and had to go into the repechage round.

In the battle for bronze medals, she faced an absolutely equal opponent in Olympic and World Championship bronze medalist VAN DIJKE Sanne. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Wimpassingerin was able to prevail. A year later, the Dutchwoman struck back. In a tough fight, after more than 8 minutes of fighting, she finally defeated Michi in the Golden Score overtime with 3:1 penalties. Van Dijke is 5: 4 in a direct duel and then secured her second World Cup bronze. The strong 7th place and important 540 points in the Olympic ranking for Paris 2024 remained for the Lower Austrian.

Aaron Fara started the World Championships with an impressive ippon throw for a lifter against the Dane MADSEN Mathias. In the next round against the current number 2 in the world KORREL Michael, Aaron was able to keep up with strong attacks for a long time. A Wazaari score for a shoulder throw then decided this encounter in favor of the favored Dutchman, who was able to secure his second World Championship bronze in a row. Aaron’s form curve is still clearly pointing upwards. He also convinced head coach Bönisch that he can keep up with the very best.
Olympic bronze medalist Shamil Borchashvili from Multikraft Wels was the only ÖJV athlete to win a medal and sensationally won bronze in the class up to 90kg.

At the end of the World Championships there was a tight decision in the mixed team competition. The 6-man Team Austria fought against Uzbekistan with three Wimpassingers, Aaron Fara, Michi Pollers and Lisa Grabner. The team first reached a 3:3 draw through victories by Michi Polleres, Samuel Gassner and Maria Höllwart. According to the IJF rule, one of the 6 weight classes (female -57, -70, +70 and male -73, -90, +90) was drawn again to determine the winning team. The class +78 should then decide. In this decisive battle, Höllwart lost as narrowly as possible and the Austrian team unfortunately had to drop out of this attractive new Olympic competition prematurely.