The Olympic judoka from Cordoba Julia Figueroa returns to international competition this Tuesday to participate in the Grand Slam de Abu Dhabi. The athlete trained in Kodokan Córdoba club and currently in the Valencia She is one of the 19 registered from 17 countries in the weight of -48 kilos.
Due to its current classification, the Cordoba She is ninth by ranking among the participants.. The number one in the world, the Italian Assunta Scutto, will act as the main favorite to the gold medal. Mireia Lapuerta is the other Spanish called to compete in -48 kilos.
This Tuesday’s appointment is the first for the Cordovan since she showed her indignation at finding out through social networks that she had been left out of the national team that is going to participate in the European Championship (Montpellier, November 3 to 5). Mireia Lapuerta and Laura Martinez They were summoned in their place. For the Cordoban woman it will mean her first absence in a major international competitionwithout being out due to injury, for the first time since 2013, it has been ten years.
Julia Figueroa’s indignation
Figueroa expressed through his social networks his discomfort at “finding out through social networks that I am not part of the team that will represent Spain in the next European Championship at such an important moment for the Olympic classification.” The judoka added that it seemed to her “an overwhelming lack of empathy, professionalism and respect.” “I have not been the first but with this statement I hope to be the last,” she added.
Julia Figueroa shows her indignation at finding out through social networks about her exclusion from the next European Championship
The 32-year-old athlete assures that she has always tried to “work and be guided by the values of effort, respect and humilityas well as trying to be as professional as possible and I will not allow anything less towards myself.”
Francisco Prados, the coach who trained her at the beginning at the Kodokán Córdoba club, also showed his discomfort, adding that “Julia Figueroa was confirmed that she had a guaranteed place for winning a European medal the previous year. Three weeks before the championship and “With the tasks almost finished they have left her out, without anyone from the Spanish Federation having contacted her.”
Those chosen for the European
The Spanish Federation He left out Julia Figueroa because he called Laura Martínez and Mireia Lapuerta in her place, two judokas who today are ahead of the Cordoba woman in the world ranking, since They occupy 12th and 13th places, respectively.and the woman from Córdoba appears at number 22.
The Cordovan woman reached in November of last year the second place in the world ranking, the best of his career. But she suffered then an injury that kept him away from the tatami for several months. Although last June she returned to the competition, she still has not won international medals in the competitions she has attended, which has cost her to lose 20 places on the world list and stop being number one. Spain. Precisely, His last international podium was obtained at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam last year, held on October 21, 2022.since she then won the gold medal by beating the Italian Milano in the final.
2023-10-23 16:28:54
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