Judo Austria secured two silver medals on the opening day of the European Veterans Championships in Portimão, Portugal, with Reinhold Kurz and Iulian Rusu both reaching their respective division finals.
Reinhold Kurz Reaches the -81kg Final
Competing in the M8 division for athletes aged 65 to 69, Reinhold Kurz advanced to the gold medal match by defeating Great Britain’s Nicholas Collins and France’s Patrick Souchard. In the final bout, the 67-year-old Tyrol representative from WSG Wattens faced France’s Thierry Brunet. Kurz dropped the contest after accumulating three shidos, resulting in an ippon defeat that secured the silver medal.
Iulian Rusu Secures Silver in the -100kg Category
Iulian Rusu matched his teammate’s podium finish by reaching the final of the M6 division for competitors aged 55 to 59. On his path to the final block, Rusu collected victories over France’s Emmanuel Sionville, Spain’s Jorge Maya Iglesias, and France’s Christian Petry. In the championship match for the top spot, Rusu was defeated by Moldova’s Muhtar Murtazaliev, taking home the second silver medal for the Austrian delegation.
Krisztian Kerschner Just Misses the Podium
Krisztian Kerschner came close to adding a third medal for Judo Austria on the tournament’s first day. Fighting in the M5 category for athletes aged 50 to 54 in the -81kg weight class, the 50-year-old from Sportzentrum Galaxy Tigers in Lower Austria reached the bronze medal match. Kerschner ultimately lost the contest to Belgium’s Yvan Barnich, finishing in fifth place.
Judo Austria Sends Nine Athletes to European Veterans Championships
The European Veterans Championships run from October 22 to 25 in Portimão, drawing 1,327 competitors across 37 nations to contest 131 different weight and age classes. Judo Austria fielded a team of nine athletes in Portugal, consisting of two women and seven men. Competition continues through the remainder of the scheduled tournament dates.
