The roar of the crowd in Rauris was deafening as the JU Pinzgau Judo Foxes completed a stunning comeback, clinching their spot back in the prestigious 1st judo Bundesliga. After two seasons in the 2nd Bundesliga,the team battled tooth and nail against the formidable Combat Center Wels,ultimately triumphing 8-7 in a nail-biting deciding match that had fans on the edge of their seats.

“We are back where we where for 28 years,” exclaimed a jubilant Chairman Rupert Riess. It’s an amazing feeling to return to the top flight. While Riess anticipates a challenging road ahead, acknowledging that it might be a little too early for us. We’ll struggle there at frist, but we’ll get through it, the spirit shown in this promotion match suggests the foxes are ready to fight for every point.

Halftime Deficit ignites fighting Fire

The path to victory was far from smooth. The first half of the contest saw JU Pinzgau facing a daunting 2-5 deficit against the favored Wels squad. It was a scenario that could have easily demoralized the team,but instead,it seemed to awaken a fierce competitive spirit. We said to ourselves, we’re not that bad. We still have the chance and want to do everything we can to take advantage of it, Riess recounted, highlighting the crucial mental shift at the break.

Rauris Erupts as Comeback Gains Momentum

The momentum swung dramatically in the opening bout after halftime. gerald Grössig delivered a pivotal victory in the heavyweight division, avenging an earlier loss and igniting the team’s charge. The atmosphere in the Rauris judo center became electric, a testament to the power of home-field advantage. We knew that if we could activate the audience and take them with us, then anything was possible, riess stated. And the 400 people with a good 100 children from our own offspring really caused a stir in our hall. This passionate support clearly fueled the Pinzgauers’ determination.

Legionnaire Delivers in Decisive showdown

The comeback continued with crucial wins from Eric-Phathon Müller and the standout performance of legionnaire Juraj Odkladal in the lower weight classes, leveling the score. Thomas Grössig and Samuel Lamm then secured the draw after 14 intense fights, setting the stage for a dramatic finale. The fate of the promotion rested on a single deciding match, which fell to the 66 kg category and once again featured the impressive Odkladal.

This time, the pressure was immense, but Odkladal delivered. This time, unlike last year, we were lucky, Riess admitted, referencing a previous close call. He’s a great guy who really likes it with us and we’re counting on him in the next few years. His victory secured the eighth and final point for JU Pinzgau