the top athletes are concentrating on the World Championships in October, a young team is to do the job in Georgia
Vice world champion Anna Monta Olek is missing, as is Olympic silver medalist Miriam Butkereit, and Seija Ballhaus will not be defending her title: The German Judo Federation is sending a “perspective team” to the European Championships in Tbilisi, which begin on Thursday. While the DJB’s top athletes are concentrating on this year’s World Championships in Baku (October 4-11), the German talents are to prove themselves in Georgia’s capital.
“The European Championship team has done a good job,” says women’s national coach Claudio Pusa after extensive training camps. Men’s coach Michael Bazynski, who will be without the injured Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Eduard Trippel among others, is also confident about his selection: “The young men will try to hold their own in a field with a very good international line-up.” The heavyweights Erik Abramov and Losseni Kone in particular will have to prove themselves.
In Tbilisi, individual decisions will be made in seven weight classes over four days of competition until Sunday. A team competition will not be held.
The German European Championship line-up:
Women:
Helen Habib (Bottrop/48 kg), Sarah Ischt (Wolfsburg/48 kg), Sara-Joy Bauer (Backnang/63 kg), Samira Bock (Munich/70 kg), Dena Pohl (Potsdam/70 kg), Julie Hölterhoff (Homburg/78 kg), Mathilda Niemeyer (Hattingen/78 kg), Louise Lilli Wojta (Homburg/over 78 kg)
Men:
Maximilian Heyder (Munich/60 kg), Nicolas Kunze (Aerzen/66 kg), Jano Rübo (Bonn/73 kg), Kevin Abeltshauser (Abensberg/73 kg), Lasse Schriever (Hamburg/90 kg), Johann Lenz (Munich/90 kg), Erik Abramov (Potsdam/over 100 kg), Losseni Kone (Hamburg/over 100 kg)
