Ellen Salens Earns Gold Medal Victory at -48kg Final in Judo Tournament

Ellen Salens, 26 years old, 33rd in the world, beat the Spaniard Gemma Maria Gomez Antonia (IJF 50), 21 years old, in the -48kg final. She thus returned to the podium in a complicated season, marked in particular by a disappointment at the world championships in Qatar (eliminated in the first round) in May.

This is her 4th medal in -48kg in a tournament of this label, her 2nd in gold after Tallinn in 2019. She also took silver in Tallinn again, in July, but in -52kg.

After passing the milestone of the German Helena Grau (unclassified), 22 years old, Salens took out in the semi-final the Spanish Mireia Rodriguez Salvaldor (IJF 110), 22 years old, who had eliminated Jente Verstraeten in the previous round ( IJF 119), 22 years old.

Jente Verstraeten then lost in the repechage against Helena Grau to finish 7th.

In -63kg, Alessia Corrao (IJF 100), 21 years old, was knocked out in her first fight by the German Mina Agneta Ricken (IJF 170/24 years old).

Early elimination also among the men for Robbe Demets (IJF 181/21 years old) in -66kg, against the 19 year old German Noel Schmidt (unclassified).

In -73, Dries Ponnet (IJF 398/22 years old) took the measure at the start of the German Peter Thomas (IJF 226/22 years old) before falling against the British Eric Ham, 26 years old, 48th in the world. Same journey for Zelemkhan Batchaev (IJF 368/20 years), first victorious over the Pole Mateusz Garbacz (IJF 259/28 years), before being eliminated by the German Jano Ruebo (IJF 139/20 years).

Ten Belgian judokas are in Sarejevo with Maxine Heyns (IJF 110/-70 kg) and Vicky Verschaere (IJF 128/-78 kg) still on the program on Sunday; Jarne Duyck (IJF 174/-81kg) and Yves Ndao (IJF 103/+ 100kg).

2023-09-16 15:13:00
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