That’s why Scoccimarro from MTV Vorsfelde gets into his sweat suit in the desert

Doha. The thermometer is scratching the 40 degree mark in Doha this week. Giovanna Scoccimarro is still wearing the sweat suit on Tuesday. In the desert state of Qatar, MTV Vorsfelde’s judo ace gets rid of the last few pounds in order to stay within the limit of her weight class (up to 70 kilograms). On Wednesday she will be weighed, on Thursday the Lessian wants to achieve something at the Judo World Championships that she has never managed to do before.

Fine tuning on site

Last Saturday we took the plane to Doha. The final touches are on site these days. And: “Three kilos have to drop,” reports Scoccimarro. This is not unusual before competitions for the Olympic fifth, who even won bronze with the mixed team in Tokyo 2021. She loses some weight by eating healthier food, for the rest she has to wear a special suit. It is tight at the sleeve and leg ends. “The fabric is leather-like, so no air can get in.” If you then start moving, “it has an effect like a sauna on your body and you start sweating really badly. I usually use it the day before the scales,” explains the woman from Vorsfeld, who is certain given the high temperatures: “In Doha, I probably won’t have to wear it for long before the pounds tumble.”

sweating experience

Because Doha and a sweat suit – Scoccimarro has already gained experience there: “I remember when we were in Qatar in 2021. That was in January – and it wasn’t as warm as it is now. There was a tent outside where we actively did 30 minutes of sport, so really not much – and I lost three kilos. All just water.”

take the hurdle

Keyword Doha 2021. At that time Scoccimarro won bronze at the Masters, thus underpinning her Olympic ticket for Tokyo. Now she wants to go to the games in Paris in 2024. A successful World Cup at the same place can only help. But for that, the competition has to go a long way – and for the first time. “I’ve always had the bad luck with the women that I was eliminated a fight before the quarter-finals at the latest and I hope that I can take this hurdle this time even without a seeded place,” says the 25-year-old, who also competed in the mixed event on Sunday. Team World Cup is used.

Ukraine withdraws team

Scoccimarro is number 13 in the world and will face Ebony Drysdale Daley (95th) in the first round. The Jamaican is hardly a real touchstone on the hoped-for path to the final round. The biggest fish in pool C is Sanne von Dijke, second in the world rankings. In all likelihood, the Dutchwoman would wait for the MTV athlete in a possible pool semi-final. By the way: With Madina Taimazova, a Russian starts under a neutral flag in Scoccimarro’s preliminary round. The Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo is allowed to participate after background checks (only athletes from Russia and Belarus who do not support the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine should be present at the World Cup). The Ukrainian team then announced their withdrawal from the title fights after this action by the World Judo Federation (IJF).

That’s what the DJB says

The German Judo Federation (DJB) would have preferred a different decision by the IJF, but decided against a boycott. “The DJB gives its athletes the chance to compete with the top international elite at the World Championships and to maintain a fair chance of participating in the Olympic Games,” the association justified its decision. The political dimension of this World Cup should not be carried out on the backs of the athletes who have been working towards their dream of the Olympics for many years.

Training with Special Olympics participants

So on Saturday Scoccimarro flew to Qatar, after the training camp in Kienbaum with international opponents there had also been a very special appointment for the 25-year-old back home. In a joint training session on the judo mats of the Braunschweig Judo Club, she prepared participants in the Special Olympics for the state games in Braunschweig, which start on Tuesday.

The Lessian showed a few tricks and tricks. “In judo, values ​​such as respect and friendship are conveyed. This is also important for inclusion in sport. Because that creates a sense of community. I’m grateful that I was able to experience this special training session,” said Scoccimarro afterwards. “Training together with an Olympic medal winner was definitely the highlight of the preparation for the national games. The enthusiasm was clearly visible on their faces,” said judo trainer Martin von den Benken.