JUDO – Marit Kamps (21) from Assen will board a plane to Bulgaria next week for her European Championship debut with the seniors. She is the reigning junior world champion in the over 78kg class. More than three years ago she picked up her belongings in Assen and left for her sport to the national Sports Center Papendal near Arnhem.
She has already proven that she also stands her ground among the seniors. This season she has already won bronze in a Grand Prix and even a Grand Slam among ‘the big women’. But between the seniors she notices that something different is expected of her.
“I no longer over-power them with force, so I now have to really start moving and really start judo”, says Kamps. And on top of that, with her one hundred kilos, she is a lightweight herself in the open class.
“I could also become heavier, but I don’t see that. A little heavier is okay. But I’m not going to do that as heavy as my competitors are,” says Kamps. “I think I can go far with this body. It seems pretty cool to show that with a normal body and with speed and strength you can beat heavy women.”
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