Csernoviczki, Ungureanu, Van Snick and Lokmanhekim fight for gold medal U48kg in Baku

Eva Csernoviczki (1) is the woman who has good papers for taking the European Games title. She knows when to peak although she is not in shape the whole year, so it can be hot in Baku in the category U48kg.

The Experienced Hungarian was expected to shine two weeks ago in Budapest but failed, although she is in the build up for Baku, she can expect some fireworks from the challengers in the lightweights. Talent is booming from Turkey, Russia and Romania. Zooming into the world ranking Monica Ungureanu (2) is the second judoka from Europe in the top ten. That top 10 is dominated by Asian and Pan American judoka, but Ungureanu stood out since 7 time European Alina Dumitru retired from judo. Ungureanu clearly took over her place and won the Grand Slam in Baku so already has a good vibe in the capital of Azerbaijan. In Baku she defeated Csernoviczki. Also she won at home at the European Open. 

The talents from Russia are booming U48kg and Irina Dolgova may be the best, as 8th seeded player she is likely to meet with Csernoviczki, so we can see how she is. The last Russian European champion was Lyubov Bruletova in 2003, can you imagine? The one is shape is Turkish Dilara Lokmanhekim. She won the Grand Prix in Zagreb and won a bronze medal in Oberwart, Prague, Samsun and the IJF Masters in Rabat. She is 21 years and steaming together with her compatriot Ebru Sahin who got injured in the final of the Grand Prix in Zagreb, but slowly gets back. The elbow injury wasn't as bad as it looked and in Budapest she was already watching the games, but didn't fight. Sahin is not seeded though, so not easy to get through the final stages with her fragile arm.

Maybe not so much in the picture last two months but defintely a top challenger is Belgian Charline van Snick who won world and Olympic bronze and is completely back. She won the Grand Prix in Dusseldorf in a top field. She may be the top favourite and wants to revenge herself against Csernoviczki for her lost European final in 2013.

Outsider is Maryna Cherniak (3) of the Ukraine, the world's number seven who won the Grand Prix in Tbilisi this year. Last year in Montpellier she won bronze but couldn't convince this year at the IJF Masters in Rabat, still an outsider. Spanish Julia Figueroa can surprise and this must be her year to break through the barriers, a medal in Baku would help tremendously and took a silver medal at the Grand Prix in Tbilisi but lost two bronze bouts.