The judoka from the town of Cinco Saltos, Rio Negro, achieved the consecration in the category of up to 100 kg of the continental contest that takes place in Córdoba.
“My goal is to get another gold and be able to enjoy competing at a high level,” he said.
Juan Paniccia won the gold medal that gave him the title of Senior South American Champion up to 100 kg, which is held in the city of Villa Carlos Paz and will end on November 6.
The best judokas in South America compete in the Judo championship, which began on Sunday October 30 and takes place at the Arena Stadium in the city of Cordoba.
In a talk with Télam, the athlete from Cinco Salta said that: “before the tournament I was training for two weeks in Brazil, more precisely at the Sogipa club in Porto Alegre, one of the strongest judo clubs in all of America.”
Paniccia’s chance to work on Brazilian soil allowed him to prepare himself to reach the highest place on the South American podium, after focusing his training on improving specific techniques for the championship.
In the previous months, the athlete had been hospitalized for pneumonia and lost the first fight in the Pan American Tournament, but none of that stopped him. Thus proving to himself that he could come back stronger.
Installed in Villa Carlos Paz, Paniccia indicated that he aims to score points for the next Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and also qualify for the 2023 Pan American Games to be held in Santiago de Chile. “My goal is to get another gold and to be able to enjoy competing at a high level”, continued the young athlete.
“I train double shift every day, at night I study psychology at the Barceló Foundation, where I can manage my schedules. On weekends I usually prioritize rest”, concluded Juan Ignacio, who will conclude the competition this weekend.
