Arnaes Odelín has reached the round of 16 in his World Cup forays. Photo: IJF.
Cubans Magdiel Estrada (73 kg) and Arnaes Odelín (57 kg) advanced to the third round of the World Judo Championship and finished one step away from the quarterfinals, a performance that paved the way for West Indian victories in the Tashkent-based tournament.
In the 73 kg Magdiel Estrada advanced to the third round and was on the brink of breaking into the top eight, but a defeat against the Canadian Arthur Margelidon prevented it.
In a fight extended into overtime and with options for both, the Antillean ultimately received three penalties against him and lost all options to enter the quarterfinal stage for the first time in a World Championship.
Earlier, Magdiel opened with an easy victory against the representative of the refugee team, Ahmad Alikaj, and later defeated the German Igor Wandtke in a golden rule.
For its part, Arnaes Odelín was also one step away from being among the best eight in the 57 kg. After being bye in the first round, the Creole began with a hard-fought victory by ippon against the Slovenian Kaja Kajzer, in a very long fight extended until minute twelve, three times the regulation time.
Then Odelín faced the Israeli Timna Nelson Levy, leader of the world ranking and current European champion. In that fight, the Antillean received three shidos, the last of them also in golden rule, and in the end she went out through the narrow door. With this performance, she equals what she achieved in the 2021 World Cup.
For this Sunday in Cuba, Maylín del Toro will go up to the tatami, to start her journey against the Spanish Sarai Padilla, number 59 in the world ranking. If she meets the predictions and she emerges victorious, she will meet the Israeli Gili Sharir, tenth in the world list, in the next round.
