Judo. Monaco International Tournament: Japan triumphs
The 28th edition of the Monaco International Judo tournament was held on Sunday at the Louis-II stadium (Photo © Communication Department / Frédéric Nebinger).
The 28th edition of the Monaco International Judo Tournament was held in the Gaston-Médecin sports hall on Sunday. The reigning champions, the University of Kokugakuin, once more took the title.
As every year, many of the discipline’s great nations were present. But in this Olympic year, with sights firmly set on Paris 2024, the stakes were high for many athletes, who were determined to shine in front of their selectors, in order to make their way to Paris in a few months’ time.
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Judo Club of Monaco close to pulling off a coup
“We witnessed some excellent, high-level bouts,” said Sophie Vincent, President of the Monegasque Judo Federation, on Monaco Info. “We noticed the impact of the Olympic Games on the competition, with many athletes still in the running to qualify.”
In this team competition, which drew nations such as Japan, France, Ukraine and Italy, the Japanese athletes from the University of Kokugakuin won out against the judokas from Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois (4-3).
Monaco’s Judo Club performed well, coming close to pulling off a coup in the group phase, but were narrowly beaten (4-3) by the ultimate winners from Japan. They placed third behind the competition’s two finalists.