The Olympic qualification for Paris is still two months away to the day. Anyone who has not yet secured one of the 372 fixed places for France will fight for their last chance in the next 60 days. The starting field for the 72nd European Judo Championships in Zagreb (CRO, April 25th – 28th) is correspondingly top-class. 427 athletes from 47 nations named, including 7 world number one, 4 Olympic champions and 17 world champions. The first part of Austria’s 17-person team arrived in Croatia’s capital on Tuesday. The draw is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m., Thursday at 10 a.m. the first of four days of competition begins. The ÖJV is represented on Thursday with a total of six athletes: Katharina Tanzer (-48 kg/SU Noricum Leibnitz/ST), Carina Klaus Sternwieser (-52/Askö Reichraming/OÖ), Lisa Grabner (-57/JC Sparkasse Wimpassing/ Lower Austria), Laura Kallinger (-57/Judoring/W); Vache Adamyan (-60/UJZ Mühlviertel/Upper Austria) and Marcus Auer (-66/JC Premstätten/ST).
With Lubjana Piovesana (-63/LZ Hohenems/V/number 6) and Shamil Borchashvili (-81/LZ Multikraft Wels/OÖ/3) two ÖJV players are seeded. “Both belong to the inner circle of medal contenders. For both of them it would be the first European Championship medal of their careers. Shamil has already won bronze at the Olympics and the World Championships, the only thing he is missing from his medal collection is this European Championship individual medal. Both are very popular,” emphasizes ÖJV head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch, before adding in the same breath: “All the top aces are in the build-up for the summer games. This year, the World Cup serves as a kind of Olympic dress rehearsal. The final billing will not take place until August. Nevertheless, I am confident that we will win at least one medal at the European Championships.”
Olympic bronze medalist Shamil Borchashvili is particularly motivated: “I really want to get this missing European Championship individual medal in Zagreb, ideally gold. That would be another milestone in my career!”
Figures and facts – European Judo Championships Zagreb 2024:
- 427 judoka from 47 nations are expected for the 72nd edition of the European Judo Championships in Zagreb. It is the European Championship premiere for Croatia (in the general class). For comparison: 386 participants from 46 countries took part in the 2023 European Championships in Montpellier. There are 14 weight classes (7 each per gender) as well as the mixed team competition on the program over the four days of competition.
- With Germany, France, Italy, hosts Croatia, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain and Ukraine, no fewer than eight nations make up the maximum contingent of 18 athletes (9 women and 9 men each).
- The field of participants is impressive not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality. There are 4 Olympic champions, 7 world number one, 17 world champions, 25 European champions and 51 athletes from the top 10 in the world rankings taking part in Zagreb.
- The Olympic qualification for Paris runs until mid-June. The European Championships in Zagreb and the World Cup in Abu Dhabi each count 100 percent. The European Championship title is rewarded with 700 points, reaching the final with 490. For third place you can get 350 points.
- More than 20 TV stations are announced. Up to 10 cameras are in use on the three mats every day.
- A total of 17,000 meals will be prepared in the hall or in the team hotels over the four days of competition.
- 433 paid employees and 30 volunteers are responsible for the smooth organization.
- A good 300 kilometers of cable will be laid in the hall for the European Championships.
- Austria is represented in Zagreb individually with 15 judoka (7 women, 8 men) in 11 weight classes. Verena Hiden and Bernd Fasching will be flown in for the mixed team competition (April 28th).
- Judo Austria has won a total of 10 medals since 2011, since the last European title in Istanbul by Sabrina Filzmoser (-57). The last red-white-red medal dates from 2021 (Lisbon: 3. Bernadette Graf/-78). In the last two European Championship editions in Sofia (2022) and Montpellier (2023), fifth place by Michaela Polleres (-70/2022) and Wachid Borchashvili (-81/2023) was the biggest result.
- Five ÖJV starters – Carina Klaus-Sternwieser (-52/Askö Reichraming/Upper Austria), Laura Kallinger (-57/Judoring/W), Vache Adamyan (-60/UJZ Mühlviertel/Upper Austria), Marcus Auer (-66/ JC Premstätten/ST) and Bernd Fasching (-81/M&R Galaxy Judo Tigers/W – only mixed team) are celebrating their European Championship premiere in Zagreb. The most experienced Austrian is Magdalena Krssakova (-63/JC Sirvan/W) who has already taken part in the 7th European Championship. The 30-year-old won European Championship silver in Prague in 2020.
- The Judo Austria European Championship squad in detail, women (7), – 48 kg: Katharina Tanzer (SU Noricum Leibnitz/ST); – 52: Carina Klaus-Sternwieser (Askö Reichraming/Upper Austria); – 57: Lisa Grabner (JC Sparkasse Wimpassing/Lower Austria), Laura Kallinger (Judoring/W); – 63: Magdalena Krssakova (JC Sirvan/W), Lubyana Piovesana (LZ Hohenems/7); + 78: Maria Höllwart (ESV Sanjindo Bischofshofen/S); Men (8), – 60: Vache Adamyan (UJZ Mühlviertel/Upper Austria); – 66: Marcus Auer (JC Premstätten/ST), – 73: Samuel Gaßner (UJZ Mühlviertel/Upper Austria), Lukas Reiter (JC Sparkasse Wimpassing/Lower Austria); – 81: Shamil and Wachid Borchashvili (LZ Multikraft Wels/OÖ, Shamil seeded No. 3); – 100: Laurin Böhler (LZ Hohenems/V); +100: Movli Borchashvilli (M&R Galaxy Judo Tigers/W). Only nominated for the mixed team competition: Verena Hiden (-57/SU Noricum Leibnitz/ST); Bernd Fasching (-81/M&R Galaxy Judo Tigers/W). Team leader: Sports director Markus Moser; Coaches: Yvonne Snir-Bönisch, Jaromir Jezek, Amjad Karimyan, Robert Krawczyk; Physiotherapists: Corinna Kasper, Bianca Zauner.
2024-04-24 09:54:38
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