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European Championships postponed for the second time

European Championships postponed for the second time

19 Sep 2020 14:05

The European Champions were again postponed. It would fit better in the IJF schedule if the blockbuster event of the European Judo Union was postponed a week. The original date in April was obviously changed into November due to the coronacrisis. Initially scheduled from 8-10 November the European Championships now takes place from Thursday 19th to Saturday 21st of November.

The O2 Arena will be the venue for the highlight of the European judo season, which is easy without major events so far. Still the European Union has a reputation as none of the European Championships were cancelled since 1956.

For the second time in the history the European Championships are held in Prague, previously in 1991 under the flag of Czechoslovakia.

The sport is still a huge value at Olympic level given the import values and judo ticks all the boxes of a modern sport and coverage. It’s viewed around the world with many fans using sites like comeonbetting.com to bet on the outcome. However the Olympic Games is the one and only top event each four… or in this case five years. Since it was founded in Japan, these Olympic Games are so hugely important and valuable for the athletes..

The biggest superstars

For the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, the hard work of the judo community and Kano, the world’s first Asian member of the IOC, paid off as it was finally accepted as an official event. Ever since, anybody who tunes into the Olympics will see the planet’s biggest and best superstars going toe-to-toe in a bid to win a medal.

The European top event will also host a few top candidates for Olympic gold such as home favourite Lukas Krpalek who is the top star in his country winning multiple World titles and Olympic gold in 2016, albeit in the category U100kg, and now moved up since those games to the Plus category which is so important to win for the home country.

This year Teddy Riner lost once in Paris and was sent back to the drawing table. Others like Krpalek smells blood and will be in the line to snatch the gold that was poised for king Teddy, but things look different now.

Performing in his own Prague, Krpalek will feel an Olympic pressure. Doubtful though that Teddy Riner will compete and battle with the home favourite, but who knows, just follow the main websites to follow the rosters of the teams for the European Championships.

IJF calendar rules

Whether it’s one of the top events is the world, is now clear, as the IJF claims that date for a judo event which is not yet unveiled. So far only the Budapest Grand Slam is scheduled but not even published in the IJF calendar yet. IJF decided to cancel the Grand Slam in Tokyo.

Interesting that the Junior European Championships scheduled 16-17 November in Porec will obviously also continue, but usually juniors can also compete at senior level, so some of the junior top athletes may have to choose what will be their focus in November, a European Junior medal or a useful connection at senior level.

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