Europeans fight: Chamizo mockery, it’s silver

If you are a fighter, you know that everything can change in a split second. A lesson that Frank Chamizo seems not to have learned yet, mocked by Tajmuraz Mairbekovic Salkazanov in -74 kg with one second left. At the European Championships in Budapest the blue fails to revenge the Slovak, who already in the 2021 edition had defeated him in the semifinal, and undergoes a sensational comeback from 5-0 to 5-7 with the last two points, those of the definitive overtaking, suffered in the last second of the match. Salkazanov repeats the title and Frank puts silver around his neck, the first of his career after five European golds and 2 bronzes. Nothing to do instead for Abraham Conyedo, who closes at the foot of the podium in the 125 kg: the Olympic bronze in Tokyo 2020 in the 97 kg, after the category change, fails to prevail in the final over the Polish Robert Baran, winner 3-2.

Chamizo

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Acclaimed by the public, Frank Chamizo enters the BOK Sports Hall in Budapest with determination and self-assurance. In his eyes the desire for revenge after a disappointing Olympics that saw him stop at the foot of the podium. The final seems to be all too easy for the blue, able to score a 4-point projection after only 21 seconds: the Slovak asks for the challenge, but the decision is confirmed and Frank goes 5-0. A clear advantage that leads Salkazanov to react, while Chamizo closes in his tight defense, which is normally one of his strengths. Unpredictable and with a monstrous speed of movement, in fact he seems to have no problem keeping the Slovak at bay who instead shortens the distances step by step: first he goes to 5-2 with a hold, then to 5-3 forcing the blue out from the mat. Same script also in the second half with Chamizo who manages the advantage, but suffers a passivity (5-4). Another push off the mat brings the Slovakian to 5-5 and this is where the unthinkable happens: in the last 8 seconds Salkazanov tries the last assault and manages to throw Chamizo out with only 1 second from the end. Denied the blue challenge, the final ends in this way at 5-7. An epilogue that immediately brings to mind the semifinal of the 2018 European Championships with Frank defeated by Soner Demirtas precisely for a similar exit at 2 tenths of a second from the end. Too bad for the blue who yesterday led the match flawlessly by overcoming in succession the Georgian Giorgi Sulava for 10-2, the Turkish Soner Demirtas for 5-0 and the Armenian Armenian Hrayr Alikhanyan for 7-1. However, there is still a European silver that completes a very rich palmares and the awareness that Chamizo has recovered from the Olympic beating and can still give us great emotions.

Conyedo

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On the other hand, Abraham Conyedo goes badly, finishing fifth in the 125 kg. An early match in balance with the blue who, however, manages to reach 1-0 thanks to a passivity and to close the first portion ahead. In the second half, Baran repays him with the same coin: liabilities and a scoreboard that scores 1-1. Then excited moments: the blue starts in attack who immediately suffers the response of the Pole and is taken off the mat. At 5-1 the challenge fortunately takes away 2 points from Baran and brings the result back to 3-1. Abraham thus tries everything and pushes the opponent out of the perimeter, shortening on 3-2. But that’s not enough. There are still a few seconds left, which Baran uses to keep Conyedo at bay by preventing him from attacking. A missed medal that burns, but for Abraham it was the first real important test in the new category (only 7 months he fought in the -97 kg) which in any case saw him overcome the Finnish Jere Tapani Heino for 3-2, before stopping against the Georgian Geno Petriashvili (11-0) and then face the final.

Tomorrow

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Still in the race and fighting for a medal Enrica Rinaldi, who tomorrow will face the Romanian Catalina Axente for the bronze medal in the -76 kg. The blue, who started from the qualifying round, won over the Serbian Fanni Nagy Nad by pinning after 1’04 “, following a 4-point projection, but surrendered to number 1 on the Estonian Epp Maee scoreboard, winner by pin, which gave her the repechage.