Judo, Tel Aviv Grand Slam, Odette Giuffrida leads the Azzurri: “I challenge myself and adversity”

Odette Giuffrida wears the rank of captain of the blue team at the Grand Slam in Tel Aviv and begins her race towards Paris 2024, for what we hope will be her third Olympics. The IJF World Tour has resumed its race at full capacity and, having overcome the first two stages of 2022 with the Grand Prix in Odivelas and the Grand Slam in Paris, it therefore arrives in Israel, for a tournament that between Thursday 17 and Saturday 19 February will compare 300 athletes from 34 nations. The Italy of captain Giuffrida, in the first race after the bronze medal won at the Tokyo Olympics, presents itself with a team of 10 elements: in addition to Odette in the 52 kg, also Angelo Pantano and Biagio D’Angelo in the 60 kg, Giovanni Esposito in 73 kg, Assunta Scutto and Francesca Milani in 48 kg, Miriam Boi in 57 kg, Nadia Simeoli in 63 kg, Alice Bellandi and Giorgia Stangherlin in 78 kg. “What inspires me about this race? The challenge – comments Odette -. I would have a lot to say about this last period, but I will answer briefly by saying that the challenge against myself and against all adversities inspires me. Maybe Thursday evening with the gold medal around my neck I will be able to explain everything and better. For now I want to focus only on myself and let my actions on the mat do the talking for me. ”

towards Paris 2024

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Odette, by virtue of her current ninth place in the world ranking, starts from seed number 4 and awaits the winner between the Georgian Janashvili and the Cuban Hurtado Munoz, while on the way to the final she could then meet Ryoko Takeda (Jpn) and the ‘Hungarian Reka Pupp, seeded number 1. “The captain is ready for the third lap and we hope also for the third gift – says the blue coach Francesco Bruyere -. After the well-deserved break after the Olympics, she is back to work with commitment and dedication. He has found his athletic condition and good intentions for a new trip, has fixed some technical details and can’t wait to get back on the mat to prove his worth again. ” While waiting for the Olympic ranking to reopen from May, the qualification path for Paris 2024 is equally active and legible through the world ranking list, which conditions the definition of the seeded races from race to race and, consequently, the entire path of the athletes in the four years. The only discriminating factor remains that of the perishability of the single score (which is halved after 12 months and zeroes after 24), a substantially relative factor given that only the best five scores have effective value.

THE PROGRAM

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Accompanied by the coaches Raffaele Parlati (men) and Francesco Bruyere (women), the doctor Dr. Stefano Bonagura, the Covid manager Alessandro Comi and the physiotherapist Virginia Vecchi, the blues are ready and aggressive. Here is the competition schedule: Thursday: F: 48 kg, 52 kg, 57 kg, M: 60 kg, 66 kg Friday: F: 63 kg, 70 kg, M: 73 kg, 81 kg Saturday: F ​​78 kg, + 78 kg, M 90 kg, 100 kg, +100 kg The Final Block starts every day at 4 pm (Italian)