Julien Carraggi from Dilbeke wins his very first international tournament: “From now on, we are fully committed to the Paris Games” (Brussels)

Carraggi has completely focused on the international tournaments for this year. “That is also necessary”, says the BC Dilbeek player. “After all, the selection for the Games in Paris is made on the basis of the international ranking. That was also the reason why I made the long trip to Thailand earlier this year. After the BK, in which I unfortunately failed in the semi-finals, I also took part in the tournaments of Orléans and the German Mülheim. My first success came in Tarnow, Poland, where I reached the semi-finals of an important event for the first time. I was able to continue that line at the Dutch Open last weekend.”

In the Dutch Wageningen, Carraggi was able to win five games in a row for the first time. “In the final I came out against the Dutchman Joran Kweekel. I won the first set 21-17, but then lost the second with the same numbers. In the third set I was able to pull the sheet to me with 21-16 to finally take place on the highest podium for the first time in my career. The satisfaction afterwards was of course great, because I desperately need those points for the Olympic ranking. At the moment I am in the top eighty in the world, which would probably be enough, but now it is important to at least maintain that position. So score points.”

Postpone exams

Carraggi will be working in Mexico in two weeks. After that, tournaments in Denmark, France and Slovenia are on his agenda. At the beginning of July there will be the European Games in Tarnow, Poland, where he certainly wants to perform strongly. “I will have to postpone my exams at KU Leuven for that. In between, it will be training at the sports room in Leuven, we will do everything we can to make it to the Games in Paris.”