Bellandi is world bronze: And Italy made poker in Doha

Alice Bellandi’s world championship is bronze! Third place for her in the category at the limit of 78 kg on the sixth day of the world championships in Doha. But it is also the fourth medal for Italy in this edition of the world event, which has thus become the richest ever. Best of the three medals won in New York 1980, the historic first women’s edition and best of the three in Barcelona 1991. But above all it is the best edition since this Olympic qualification system with ranking came into force. “I had come for a completely different thing -Alice Bellandi said- but in judo, as in life, there are the unexpected. Today I’m not happy for this medal, but for having the strength to get up after taking a big slap in the semifinal. After the defeat I had half an hour in which I thought I was in a nightmare, in another dimension, but then I found the strength to react. I said to myself that I didn’t come here for nothing and after an hour or so I recovered all my energy and confidently faced the most difficult match of the day”. In fact, the final for the bronze pitted Alice Bellandi against the Japanese who won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2021, Shori Hamada. Fifth meeting of a very long day, the most important after the three clear victories over the Peruvian Camila Figueroa, the Dutch Natascha Ausma, the South Korean Jeongyun Lee and the burning defeat with Inbar Lanir, an Israeli in a day of grace who was able to reassemble the wazari of the Bellandi and then go on to conquer the world title. With this third place however, Alice Bellandi consolidates her first place in the world rankings and continues to work towards her greatest goal, which isn’t that far away.

IT’S THE TURN OF GIORGIA

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Also competing today was Giorgia Stangherlin in the 78 kg who, after two good victories obtained over Natalie Powell (Gbr) and Vanessa Chala (Ecu), crossed paths with Shori Hamada (Jpn) and was eliminated, while Gennaro Pirelli in the 100 kg he found the Czech Lukas Krpalek in the first fight, one who boasts two Olympic gold medals in two different categories, in the 100 kg in Rio 2016 and in the +100 kg in Tokyo 2021. But the Neapolitan does not look anyone in the face and gave in, but only to the golden score after leading Krpalek to two penalties (the third determines the disqualification). “And now we are in history… first Senior World Cup with 4 medals, surpassed Barcelona 1991”. It was the hot comment of the blue coach Raffaele Toniolo, who celebrates the medals of Assunta scutto, Odette Giuffrida, Manuel Lombardo and Alice Bellandi. But tomorrow is Saturday, the last day of individual competitions and Italy still has one card to play: Asya Tavano in the +78 kg.