Italy Faces Hurdles in Building Best Judo Team for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Italy will present itself at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with the best national judo team in history, as seen in the last five years and in particular in the three-year period post-Tokyo. The blue movement will in fact be able to count on five credible podium cards, as well as a series of outsiders capable of making a move and unexpectedly inserting themselves into the positions that count.

A competitive and increasingly deep selection in many different categories, which on paper would have the credentials to aspire to a prestigious result also in the five-circle Team Event. Unfortunately in recent months Italy’s medal project in the Paris team event has been creaking a bit due to the various physical problems of Gennaro Pirelli and above all of Martina Esposito.

The Neapolitan born in 2001 injured her shoulder last March during the Tbilisi Grand Slam (in which she achieved a brilliant third place), then having to undergo surgery and attempting to return to competitions in the autumn. After three negative appearances, in which she was still inevitably far from top form, she then stopped again with her last international race which dates back to 10 November 2023 in Australia.

Judo, the Olympic rankings updated after the Baku Grand Slam: 10 Italians virtually qualified in Paris

In the meantime Martina has progressively slipped back in the rankings and is now further and further away from the Olympic qualification zone in the -70 kg category. A situation that risks significantly weakening the value of the Italian team in view of the five-ring team eventdue to how the competition format is structured.

Giving an example, if the qualification period for the Olympics were to end today the Bel Paese would be forced to field the following athletes: Manuel Lombardo in the -73 kg, Christian Parlati in the -90 kg, Gennaro Pirelli (currently recovered through the continental quota , but at risk) in the +90 kg, Odette Giuffrida in the -57 kg (therefore against athletes of a higher category), Veronica Toniolo even sacrificed in the -70 kg and one between Alice Bellandi and more probably Asya Tavano in the +70 kg.

Italy would effectively fight with at least 3 athletes (out of 6) “out of position”Furthermore, if Pirelli were to fail to reach the Olympic pass, the emergency situation would also extend to the men’s sector with Parlati adapted to the heavyweights and Antonio Esposito or Antonio Gamba in his place in the -90 kg category.

2024-02-27 17:28:28
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