Kenji Saito Explains Some Details about the Judo Competition in the Games Rio 2016
The member of Rio 2016 Organizing Committee went to Saquarema to talk to the Brazilian athletes and coaching staff.
It’s been a long time since the athletes of the Brazilian team have been in the Olympic Games mood. Last Thursday, February 5th, they could feel more the most important competition of their careers in the lecture Kenji Saito, responsible for judo in the Games Rio 2016. For about an hour, he has talked to the judokas in the auditorium of the Volleyball Development Centre from Saquarema, where the selection took part in the International Training Camp and could upgrade the athletes and coaching staff on the organization of the judo contest in 2016.
An exciting video with the best moments of Jigoro Kano’s sport in the Games London 2012 opened the seminar and held the audience's attention with attentive and dreamy eyes, especially those who have not had the opportunity to be in the Olympics. Then Kenji showed some slides with the field of play, training, the Olympic Village and he spoke about the test event to be held in January next year and highlighted a special point: for the first time judo will be held in the Olympic Park.
"The fights will happen in Carioca 2 Arena. It is a great expectation, because the Olympic Park is the heart of the Games," he explains. "It's a different experience for those who will go there."
The judo structure has 16 training areas, a judogi sewing room, a cloakroom, a dining room, a relaxation area, a sauna and a weigh-in room. Unlike from what happened in London, Kenji ensures that in Rio this room will have a special schedule so that the athletes can check their weight before competitions.
"The idea is that the schedule of the room with the scales be a broad one." he said.
Calendar
In the beginning of 2016 there will be a judo test to "test" the competition of the Games. Two days of fighting: January 16th and 17th.
"The goal is to replicate in these two days everything that will happen in the Games, of course, with some technical limitations, since it some part of the work may not be complete yet " Kenji said.
The real competition has already been scheduled as well. On August 4th it is the draw of the keys and the technical seminar of the arbitration. On 5th it is the opening ceremony and, from August 6th 2016, our judokas will be entering the Arena Carioca 2 mat to defend Brazil and get the long awaited Olympic medal.
