Judo, World Cup 2023: Italy’s medal hopes in the women’s field. Alice Bellandi and Odette Giuffrida the tips

A spearhead, two other medal cards and several outsiders ready to obtain and possibly exploit the opportunity to go in search of the great exploit. At least on paper, the composition of the company can be summarized in this way Italian women’s team who will take part in the upcoming ones Judo World Championships 2023, scheduled in Doha from 7 to 14 May.

Despite two quite important absences (Martina Esposito due to injury, Giulia Carnà not called up), Italy will therefore present itself in Qatar with great ambitions in this sector to try to obtain prestigious results and break a hunger that began way back in 1991. It dates back to that in fact, the last world title obtained by the tricolor judo movement, with the victories of Alessandra Giungi in the -52 kg and Emanuela Pierantozzi in the -66 kg in Barcelona.

Getting on the top step of the podium will also be particularly difficult in the Qatari capital, but some of our standard-bearers have what it takes to advance their candidacy. Among these it inevitably stands out Alice Bellandi, one of the main favorites for the gold medal in the -78 kg from the top of his first position in the WRL and in the Olympic ranking.

Judo, Italy’s squad for the 2023 World Cup: four debutants and some heavy absences among the Azzurri in Doha

The 24-year-old from Brescia, between the end of 2022 and the beginning of this season, even gave the impression of being able to rise to the role of new dominatrix of the category by putting together a sequence of 15 matches won consecutively (imposing herself in two Grand Slams and in the World Masters) before the defeat in the final in Tbilisi with the German Anna-Maria Wagner, still undefeated after two official direct clashes against the athlete of the Fiamme Gialle.

In addition to Bellandi, they will in all likelihood be seeded in the draw and Assunta Scutto and Odette Giuffrida should also be considered podium cards. The young Neapolitan born in 2002, fresh from a couple of disappointing tournaments, will try to repeat the world bronze won last October in Tashkent (as a rookie) in the -48 kg, while the Roman champion twice Olympic medalist will try to dispel her “curse world champion” in the -52 kg to further enrich an already extraordinary palmares.

The other Italjudo girls selected for Doha will instead have to invent something special, perhaps even with a bit of luck in terms of the draw, to make their way up to the Final Block and play for a medal. For your experience in this context Frances Milani can have its say in the -48 kg, while Veronica Toniolo he recently demonstrated in Tel Aviv a remarkable growth in the World Tour and will be a loose cannon in the -57 kg. Also not to be underestimated Giorgia Stangherlin (78) and the debutante Thauany David Capanni Dias (57), both capable of getting on the podium this year in the major circuit.

Photo: IJF