After five years of waiting Tokyo’s Metropolitan Gymnasium returns to host a Judo Grand Slam, in which Japan fields a total of 28 athletes (4 for each category) and has what it takes to dominate the scene. There is therefore little space on paper in the top positions for the other countries, in fact many big names have decided to skip the Japanese appointment to better prepare for the year-end Masters (December 20-22) in Jerusalem.
Only four athletes will be involved for Italy: Lorenzo Parodi and Giacomo Gamba in the -81 kg, Gennaro Pirelli and Enrico Bergamelli in the -100 kg. At the moment all of them are outside the top 36 of the world ranking and will hardly be able to qualify for the Masters, as a result they have chosen to face the trip to Japan to play the last tournament of the season at the World Tour level.
The ceremony was held today drawing of tables and in a blue key no exciting news has arrived. In the -100 kg Pirelli (excellent 3rd in the last Grand Slam in Baku) will debut with the modest Maltese Bezzina to then face the reigning Olympic champion Aaron Wolf in the round of 16, while Bergamelli will challenge the affordable Korean Won Jonghoon before crossing the very strong Japanese Kentaro Iida in the round of 16.
It certainly went better for our two bearers of the -81 kg category: Parodi has an easy path up to the semifinal of Pool, in which he could contend with the tough French Djalo, while Gamba could also target the quarterfinals if he were to pass the German Cavelius and then one between the Canadian Gauthier Drapeu and the Mongol Luvsandemberel.
Photo: IJF
