The 2023 season of the World Tour opens with a bang for Italjudo, thanks to the fantastic exploit of Thauany David Capanni Dias in the female category up to 57 kg on the occasion of Grand Prix of Almada (in Portugal). The Roman born in 2003 performed a great feat in her second appearance on the major circuit, snatching a remarkable third place and becoming (at the age of 19 years and 91 days) the youngest blue judoka ever – including men – to get on the podium in a Grand Prix.
Capanni Dias debuted with a clear success in 47″ on the affordable Kazakh Dana Abdirova, to then inflict an ippon also on the listed Polish Julia Kowalczyk (world bronze 2019) in less than a minute and a half. The reigning Italian champion subsequently settled the Kosovar Flaka Loxha for waza-ari within the limit of regulation time, detaching the pass for the semifinal.
The Italian-Brazilian at that point put Olympic and world champion Rafaela Silva to the test, who risked disqualification for sum of penalties on more than one occasion and then managed to win (for hansoku make after 7 minutes of Golden Score) thanks to greater physical resistance over the long distance. Thauany’s redemption materialized a few hours later, with a extremely significant victory in the final for 3rd place over the tough Serbian Marica Perisic for ippon with a deadly seoi nage with 11″ to go.
Judo, the Olympic rankings updated at the beginning of 2023: Italy virtually qualified in 13 categories!
Eliminated before the quarterfinals with one win and one loss to their credit Andrea Carlino nei 60 kg and Martina Castagnola in the 52 kg. Out of the game already in the first round instead Advanced Asia (against Venezuelan Maria Gimenez) in the 48 kg, Kenya Peru (with the French Julie Weill Dit Morey) in the 52 kg e Julia Caggiano (after the Golden Score with the Serbian Perisic) in the 57 kg among the other blues.
Below the summary of the podiums of the first day of the Judo Grand Prix Portugal 2023:
-48 kg F
1 Abuzhakynova (Kaz)
2 Tynbayeva (Kaz)
3 Rishony (Isr) and Lapuerta Comas (Esp)
-52 kg F
1 Giles (Gbr)
2 Lopez Sheriff (Esp)
3 Weill Dit Morey (From) e Van Krevel (Down)
-57 kg F
1 Mimi Huh (Kor)
2 Silva (Good)
3 Smythe-Davis (Gbr) e Capanni Dias (Ita)
-60 kg M
1 Fukuda
2 Garrigos (Esp)
3 Revol (From) e Mkheidze (From)
-66 kg M
1 Tilovov (Uzb)
2 An Bowl (Corps)
3 Izvoreanu (Mda) and Bouba (Fra)
Photo: IJF
