High-Level Judo Competition ended

Russian Olympic Champion Galstyan beaten by the Japanese Shinji Kido

KAZAN – The judo competition of the 27th Summer Universiade in Kazan, 2013, came to a close on July 11th, with the team competition. After five days of fights, 72 medals were won in 18 categories.

On the tatami, the presence of Olympic and World Champions confirm the high level of this competition, which is the second largest competition in the sports world, being only behind the Olympic Games.

From the 362 fighters participating in the competition (214 men and 148 women), about 100 had world championship titles in important stages of Grand Prix and Slams, and eight of them were Olympic medal winners. The highlight goes to the current Olympic champions: Russian Arsem Galstyan, under 60 kg category, and Cuban Idalys Ortiz Bocourt. But both judokas could not repeat their performance in London, and got the silver medal in Kazan.

Galstyan was defeated at the final fight by the Japanese Shinji Kido, champion in the Grand Slam of Tokyo 2010. “I knew this would be a hard competition, but it exceeded my expectations, in my category there were two European champions”, he commented.

Current Cuban Olympic Champion Ortiz surpassed by Brazilian Rochele

Bocourt, on the other hand, lost the fight for the gold medal to Brazilian judoka Rochele Nunes, who had won the Bronze medal in the Pan-American Championship in San Jose in 2013, in the Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and in the Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro 2011. Now, the Brazilian adds the title of Universiade Champion to her record of achievement.

“This medal indicates I’m on the right path to get to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. I know the way is long, but with a gold medal in a competition like this, it is very encouraging,” said Nunes.

The bronze-medalist at Beijing 2008, Brazilian Ketlelyn Quadros, won the gold medal in this edition of the Universiade, and said she could relive the experience of being in the Olympic Games.

“I don’t know if I can explain how happy I am for achieving this goal, it is very important to me, because I faced athletes who are among the 10 best in the world ranking and could get to the gold medal. I could also relive what I went through in Beijing, with the opening ceremony, the Olympic Village, the level of the athletes. I’ll keep this medal besides the one from Beijing, both are very special to me”, Quadros said. She was the first female judoka from Brazil to get an Olympic medal.

Luana Cruz (BRA), FISU Young Reporter