Day 2 Preview (20 May 2022)

CATEGORIES:

PARA: FEMALE K44 -65kg, K44 -+65kg/ MALE K44 –70kg, K41 -70kg

OLY: FEMALE -73kg, +73kg / MALE -58kg, -87kg

PARA: FEMALE K44 -65kg

• PARTICIPATION – 8 athletes / 7 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/Er(TUR), Silver/Bascaksiz (TUR), Bronze/Ozdag (TUR)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Lisa Gjessing (DEN) World No1

What will we see – Current European Champion Secil Er (TUR) returns to defend her title seed No2 behind World No 1 and Olympic Champion GJessing (DEN). Ukraine expected to medal with Yuliya Lypetska seeded No3.

Also competing is GB’s Beth Munro, hot off the back of her success at the Tokyo2020 Olympics where she took Silver. Her successes have continued into 2022 with Bronze in the Presidents Cup and Silver at the Pan AM Open.

PARA: FEMALE K44 +65kg

• PARTICIPATION – 8 athletes / 8 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/Moreno (ESP), Silver/Karatay (TUR), Bronze/Turgut (TUR) and Celik (TUR)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Guljonoy Naimova (UZB) World No1

What will we see – Current World No1, Olympic Champion and top seed Naimova (UZB) faces stiff competition with Olympic Silver medallist Menezes (BRA) and Bronze medallist Truesdale (GBR) both competing.

PARA: MALE K44 -70kg

• PARTICIPATION – 11 athletes / 10 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/Celik(TUR), Silver/Kesicki (POL), Bronze/Atalay (TUR) and Omarov (RUS)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Juan Diego Garcia Lopez (MEX) World No 1

What will we see – Current European Champion Celik (TUR) returns to defend his title but is seeded second behind World No 1 Garcia Lopez (MEX)

PARA: MALE K41 -70kg

• PARTICIPATION – 1 athletes / 1 countries

OLY: FEMALE -73kg

• PARTICIPATION – 11 athletes / 9 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/McGowan (GBR), Silver/Mandic(SER) Bronze/Khan(RUS) and POLE (CRO)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Althea Laurin (FRA) current ranked No4

What will we see – Current European Champion and recent Swedish Open winner GB’s McGowan returns to defend her title but with several higher world ranking athletes also in this category it could be a struggle.

OLY: FEMALE +73kg

• PARTICIPATION – 11 athletes / 10 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/Walkden (GBR), Silver/Kowalczuk(POL), Bronze/Jhal(AUS) and Moran (ESP)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Bianca Walkden (GBR) World No 1

What will we see – Bianca Walkden (GB) will be hard to beat as current Champion. Her form continues with Golds recently secured at the Swedish and Belgian Opens.

OLY: MALE -58kg

• PARTICIPATION – 22 athletes / 21 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/Ravet (FR), Silver/Vicente(ESP), Bronze/Braganca(POR) and Olsen (SWE)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Vita Dell’Aquila (ITA) current World No1

What will we see – An interesting category to watch which could go anyone’s way. Current Champion Ravet (FR) is likely to be challenged by World No 1 and Olympic Champion Dell’Aquila and Ireland’s Jack Woolley (World No3). GB’s Mo Nour also competes

OLY: MALE -87kg

• PARTICIPATION – 20 athletes / 19 countries
• SOFIA 2021 EUROPEAN WINNERS – Gold/Kirichenko (RUS), Silver/Khodabakhsi(SER), Bronze/Botta (ITA) and Sapina (CRO)
• HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING – Ivan Sapina (CRO), World No3

What will we see – Sapina (CRO) hopes to improve on his Bronze from Sofia 2021 after climbing the world rankings.

Bondar (UKR) currently ranked 22 in the world receive a warm welcome, as will GB’s Caden Cunningham. Cunningham continues to improve with Silver secured in Sofia Open and Gold at the Belgian Open earlier this year.

-ENDS-

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