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Judo, the redemption of Alice Bellandi: it imposes itself at the Grand Slam of Baku

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There is the stamp of Alice Bellandi on the Grand Slam of Baku. The judoka from Brescia is exalted on the tatami by the Caspian Sea hitting the success in the tournament of 78 kilograms. A victory that galvanized the standard bearer of the Fiamme Gialle, canceling the heavy disappointment suffered at the recent World Cup in Tashkent.

Turn

From Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan the register changes completely, so much so that this time Alice’s journey is truly wonderful. Ready redemption, therefore, with a medal around his neck, points in the farmhouse for the world ranking, climbed in the Olympic ranking and also a path to Paris 2024 with increasingly justified and motivated optimism. Bellandi is was clearly the strongest in the category, clearly beating all the opponents against which she fought: the Slovenian Metka Lobnik, the English Emma Reid and, once again, the French Madeleine Malonga (Olympic silver, gold and world silver). In the final against the Dutch Natascha Ausma, the blue won the match thanks to a wazari scored with an attack by seoi nage kneeling on the left and, without interruption, she went up and attacked in o uchi gari on the right causing the rival to fall. A spectacular move.

Pride

«It was a tough day – comments Bellandi – because I didn’t feel at the top, but in the head I was good at managing the race, to understand that I could win in a different way and so it was. I am happy with this result, even if I could have done something better in the matches. But now it goes on and the head already goes to the Master ».

The other athletes

In Azerbaijan an excellent fifth place also for a rising Giacomo Gamba

A bubbling Bellandi is associated with a decidedly growing Giacomo Gamba. The son of art finished fifth in the 81 kilograms of Baku and thus, after Ulaanbaatar and Abu Dhabi, he made a significant progression reaching the semifinal with three victories over Azerbaijani Hajiev, the Georgian Sherazadishvili and the Pole Drzymal. Overcome in the semifinals by the Belgian Matthias Casse, Gamba was also overtaken in the final for the bronze by the Chechen competing for Bahrain, Askerbii Gerbekov. A fifth place, however positive, on the way to the Games.

In judo what counts is putting hay in the farmhouse step by step, because the higher you are in seeding the better you are positioned on the tournament boards. Bellandi and Gamba are now called to remain continuously on the upper floors and consistently prove to be the best of the Italians in their weight category. In fact, at the Games each country can field only one athlete in each tournament. Facing and defeating internal competition goes hand in hand with beating foreign rivals.