Judoka Elena Bahamonde secured a bronze medal in the -48kg junior category at the Súper Copa de España de Galicia in Ourense, overcoming a controversial video review in the semifinals before defeating Portugal’s national champion to claim a podium finish and climb to sixth in the national rankings, according to regional sports reports.
Ourense Semifinal Controvery and Video Revisions
Competing for the Caja Rural-Judo team and representing the Judo Morales club, Bahamonde advanced smoothly through the early rounds of the -48kg junior bracket with clear, dominant victories. However, the path to the gold medal bout met a significant hurdle in the semifinal round against a representative from the Portuguese delegation, as detailed by La Opinión de Zamora.
The match turned on a pair of lengthy video review sequences. In the first disputed action, an attack launched by Bahamonde that the Zamora team anticipated would earn them an advantage was instead awarded to her opponent as a counter-attack following more than a minute of deliberation. Later in the bout, with approximately 30 seconds remaining and Bahamonde pressing forward on the attack, the central referee initially signaled an Ippon—the maximum score granting immediate victory.
Tactical Recovery and Bronze Medal Victory
Reeling from the semifinal decision, Bahamonde regrouped mentally under the guidance of her coaching staff to prepare for the third-place playoff. Her opponent in the bronze medal match was the reigning national champion of Portugal.
Executing a flawless tactical plan from the opening seconds, Bahamonde dictated the tempo of the match and secured an indisputable victory. Regional sports coverage noted that the mental resilience displayed by the young judoka prevented the semifinal setback from derailing her tournament performance.
National Rankings and Upcoming Schedule
The points earned with the bronze medal in Ourense propel Bahamonde into the top six of the national junior rankings for the -48kg division. Under current qualification structures, that standing provisionally secures her a direct ticket to the final phase of the upcoming Spanish Championship.
The competitive calendar offers little recovery time for the Zamora delegation. Bahamonde is scheduled to travel to Gran Canaria the following weekend to participate in another stop on the Súper Copa de España circuit, carrying the momentum of her Galician podium finish into the next national test.
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