Leandro Guilheiro leads the world ranking

Brazil has one more athlete on the top of the world ranking: after Mayra Aguiar, the leader of the Women’s 78 kg, who won the gold medal at the Judo Grand Slam from Paris which took place at the beginning of this month, Leandro Guilheiro woke up as the world-number-one this Shrove Tuesday, even if he did not fight in any competition in 2012. Before the last update of the list, Guilheiro stood six points behind the world champion from Korea, Jae-Bum Kim; now he is 54 points ahead of his main rival: 1390 x 1346.

“Considering the valid points, I have already been the first since December 2011; all the athletes but I were losing points(according to the International Judo Federation’s criteria, the points lose 50% from their importance after 12 months; after 13 up to 24 months they lose their validity). For this reason and for correcting my shortfalls by London Olympic Games, I decided training at the beginning of this year”, states the judoka from Santos, holder of two bronze Olympic medals at Men’s 73 kg category (2004 and 2008). “It is nice to be the first, but I did not participate in the circuit with this goal in mind. I intended to qualify for London as soon as possible, and consequently I had more time to prepare myself. The leadership came naturally”, continues the athlete from Pinheiros Club (SP).

Guilheiro has to compete in the Pan-American Championship from Montreal, on April 28th and 29th; this is the last valid event before closing the list of 22 men and 14 women qualified for London 2012 Olympic Games. The results will be made public on April 30th.

“All the athletes that will be in London will fight for gold, no matter which their position may be on the ranking. Being leader does not offer me many advantages, besides being dressed in white kimono in all competitions” says Guilheiro. He will lose his leader position only in case of a combination between his results and his main competitors’, the Korean Kim and the athlete from Azerbaijan, Elnur Mammadli, at the continental championships. The Olympic champion from 2008, Ole Bischof, is on the fourth place with 1108 points, but he has no chance of being on top.