Victor Penalber Has a Better Result than in 2013 and He Ends in the Seventh Place in Chelyabinsk World Judo Championship
Mariana Silva wins two rounds but is defeated by the French Anne-Laure Bellard in the final octaves. On Friday Bárbara Timo, Tiago Camilo and Mayra Aguiar step on the mat.
Evolution. Victor Penalber (81kg) improved the last year’s performance and he was very close to the contention for medals in Chelyabinsk 2014 World Judo Championship. In the quarter-finals, he was winning the fight against Antoine Valois-Fortier, but in the last minute a moment of carelessness was enough to be projected by a wazari and he ended up going to repechage. In the contention for a place on the podium, Victor also dominated the fight during most of the time but a counter coup, namely a wazari from Ivan Nifontov, world champion in Rotterdam 2009 and bronze medalist in London 2012 Games to the home crowd’s delight. When fighting against his Russian rival, Penalber had a knee problem and therefore he could not get a score after being projected by Nifontov.
"He had a few techniques that I could not do but the athlete is used to living with pain and we have to seek strategies. I stepped in to get all or nothing but when I saw I was winning by two shidos and I could control the fight, I decided to hold on. But at that moment, I could not continue my gripping nor defend myself, "Victor said.”But that's not why I missed the World Championships. Despite having trained more than ever, I think there are other things that I have to review. The knee was just one more obstacle I could not overcome and get my longed medal, “he added.
The 24 year-old Carioca judoka who was taking part in his second world championship had an excellent start. In the fight against the Armenian Rafael Davtyan, he threw his opponent twice by wazari. In the contention against the Uruguayan Alan Aprahamian, the performance was even better: a projection by yuko and two others by wazari. And in the final octaves against the Polish Lukazs Blach, one more yuko and one wazari.
"I always tried to overthrow my rival and seek an ippon and I could not do differently in a World Championship. After it ends, we see what could have done a little more. I was pretty aggressive, but I could have risked more, "Victor said.
The men’s title went to Avtandili Tchkrishvili (GEO), the silver medal was won by Antoine Valois-Fortier (CAN) whereas the bronzes by Loic Pietri (FRA) and Ivan Nifontov (RUS).
Mariana Silva made her way to the final octaves with good wins over Laura Salles Lopez from Andorra and Agata Ozdoba from Poland. But in the confrontation against the talented French Anne Laure Bellard she could not impose her footprint and was eventually immobilized by ippon. The French Clarisse Agbegnenou was champion, Yarden Gerbi (ISR) silver-awarded and Miku Tashiro (JPN) and Tina Trstenjak (SLO) got the bronze.
On Friday, August 29th, Brazil will be represented by Barbara Timo (70kg) who makes her debut in World Judo Championship; Mayra Aguiar (78kg), who is in this competition for the sixth time and has already got three medals - silver in Tokyo 2010 and bronze in Paris 2011 and Rio 2013 - and Tiago Camilo (90kg), who also goes for his sixth World Champion and he became champion in the edition held in Rio 2007. The qualifiers begin at 2 am and the finals at 8 am, Brasília Time. SporTV, the partner of the Brazilian judo, broadcasts the fights.
