WTE European Seniors Championships Kazan 2018 – Day 4 Participating Divisions:
Female Categories: -73kg / +73kg
Male Categories: -87kg / +87kg
FEMALES -73kg
*PARTICIPATION: 17 Athletes
*EUROPEAN WINNERS MONTREUX 2016: 1st place: Iva Rados (CRO),2nd place: Milica Mandic (SRB) and 3rd places: Reshmie Ooogink (NED) & Petra Matijasevic (FYROM).
*HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING: Milica Mandic (SRB) – No1
*QUALIFIED FROM WT PRESIDENT’S CUP 2018: Kus Nafia (TUR), Rados Iva (CRO), Pole Doris (CRO), Schneider Yanna (GER)
*WHAT WE WILL SEE: European representatives in this category, hold the highest places in the World Ranking list. Thus, in Montreux 2016 we had the chance to watch an elite final match between Milica Mandic Olympic Champion 2012 and Iva Rados, European Champion and World’s No3. Among them will be this year also participating and the silver European medallist 2017 Nafia Kus, who attained the second place in Montreux in +73kg. The fight for the gold will be exciting for the audience since the athletes that are targeting the first place will also have to face the World’s No7 Yanna Schneider (GER) and World’s No8 and bronze European Reshmie Oogink of Netherlands.
FEMALES +73kg
*PARTICIPATION: 14 Athletes
*EUROPEAN WINNERS MONTREUX 2016: 1st place: Bianca Walkden (GBR) 2nd place: Nafia Kus (TUR), and 3rd places: Olga Ivanona (RUS) & Rosana Simon Alamo (ESP)
*HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING: Bianca Walkden (GBR) – No1
*QUALIFIED FROM WT PRESIDENT’S CUP 2018: Muzychka Olga (RUS), Borisova Ella (RUS), Brandl Lorena (GER), Giacomini Laura (ITA).
*WHAT WE WILL SEE: The ultimate player of the category Bianca Walkden will definitely defend her title as she always does, as she is incompatible with anything less than the gold one. The participations in Kazan also indicate most of the medallists of 2016 plus Ana Bajic World bronze medallist. Since the silver European medallist 2016 Nafia Kus switched category, then we will probably see a new name beside the favorites, climbing on the winners’ podium.
Males -87kg
*PARTICIPATION: 21 Athletes
*EUROPEAN WINNERS MONTREUX 2016: 1st place: Vladislav Larin (RUS) 2nd place: Armen Yeremyan (ARM) and 3rd places: Payam Ghobadi (AZE) & Drasko Jovanov (SRB)
*HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING: Vladislav Larin (RUS) – No1
*QUALIFIED FROM WT PRESIDENT’S CUP 2018: Kamalov Rafael (RUS), Artal Year Antonio (ESP), Sari Muhammet (TUR), Zaharov Gleb (RUS)
*WHAT WE WILL SEE: Having seen the participations of this division, predictions can be easily done. Definitely, the World’s No1 Vladislav Larin is a favorite for doubling his gold European medals but the road to the podium won’t be easy. The podium places will be claimed by Lutalo Muhammad (GBR), two times Olympic medallist, the latest World Champion Alexander Bachmann of Germany, Daniel Ros Gomez (ESP) World’s No4 and Ivan Trajkovic World’s No5.
Males +87kg
*PARTICIPATION: 16 Athletes
*EUROPEAN WINNERS MONTREUX 2016: 1st place: Aman-Marshall Silla (BLR) 2nd place: Roman Kuznetsov (RUS) and 3rd places: Piotr Hatowski (POL) & Omar El Yazidi (FRA)
*HIGHEST POSITION IN WORLD RANKING: Isaev Radic (AZE)– No2
*QUALIFIED FROM WT PRESIDENT’S CUP 2018: Kuznetsov Roman (RUS), Miangue Yoann (FR), Kuznetcov Oleg (RUS)
*WHAT WE WILL SEE: The Olympic Champion Isaev Radic hasn’t achieved European title since Baku 2014. This time he is the favorite for the first place in a probably final match with World’s No5 Kuznetsov Roman. Roman, who achieved the bronze in World Championships in Muju, lost in the final in 2016 against Aman-Marshall Silla and left with the silver one. This year his target will be a different medal colour, having an advantage with his recently WT President’s Cup gold participation.
