The World Team Wins the International Challenge in Saquarema
Consisting of athletes such as the Olympic champion Kayla Harrison, the team defeats the young Brazilian team by four to one.
The International Challenge between Brazil and the World Team moved the judo in Saquarema on Wednesday early. The CDV gym entered into the competition mood with the children from Full Booked project and with the athletes who were not taking part in the competition. The Brazilian girls, mostly young prospects who needed competition experience, had no chance against a very strong international team made up of athletes such as Kayla Harrison, world and Olympic champion, and the German Laura Vargas Koch, bronze medalist in Grand Slam Paris and Moscow in 2013, and so they ended up being defeated by four to one.
"The team for 2016 is on the right path. Putting these young athletes today is part of the BJC planning for the future, thinking about 2020, and “said Paulo Wanderley Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Judo Confederation. He also stressed the importance of the Training Camp in Saquarema regarding the team’s preparation and confirmed that next year the event will be held at the Pan American Judo Center from Lauro de Freitas, Bahia, judo’s new home.
The first combat put face to face the world junior vice-champion in 2013, Jessica Pereira, and the Irish Lisa Kearney. The confrontation was extensively studied but the Brazilian did not win due to her two penalties. In the second fight, Dione Lima managed to project the German Nadja Barzynski by yuko and tied the match.
"It's a great opportunity for those who do not have much the chance to compete abroad as our today’s opponents do. We were just training, that’s why it’s good to enter in this competition mood. I was happy to score for Brazil and now I just have to keep working, " Dione Lima said.
In the heavier categories, the inexperience of Brazilian weighed. In the fight against Laura Vargas Koch, Karol Gimenez had a good start, but in an oversight she ended up being projected and then immobilized in ippon by the German.
"It was very interesting to participate in a competition like this, which serves as a preparation stage for the world tournament that will be at home," said Laura Vargas Koch, reminding the Grand Prix Dusseldorf, the first major competition of this year’s World Tour.
Immobilization was also the weapon used by the Olympic champion Kayla Harrison to defeat Isabella Sanchez. Finally, Ágatha Silva could not resist the arm lock of the French Marine Erb.
"I did not feel much pressure; I saw the fight as one more training. But it was a good experience for me and I hope it was for them as well, "said Kayla Harrison.”I know she (Isabella Sanchez) is young, I'm not sure how old she is. But she has strength, she’s good. I can say that she did well, she did not want to lose."
"It was very meaningful to me. Entering a competition against Kayla is feeling what other athletes of my category, as Mayra, feel when fighting against her. I have great respect and admiration for Kayla, but I wanted to give my best and score for Brazil. "
The International Training Camp continues until February 7th. The next appointment of the Brazilian team is the Grand Prix of Dusseldorf, 20th -22nd February.
