Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA) is aiming at her 6th European title and if she wins it, she would become the most decorated French judoka of all time, in terms of European gold medals. She won her first senior continental title in Budapest in 2013 and went on to win again in 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2020. With 5 years between the last European gold and this week’s meeting in Montenegro, it’s a big goal and the group is not without challenge; Van Lieshout (NED) being the most notable as current world champion.
In her pool, pool C, Agbegnenou will have to pass junior European and world medallist Savita Russo (ITA), already an Olympian at only 19, never afraid to aim at a big target. Perhaps world silver medallist Szymanska (POL) will be her stumbling block in the quarter-final.
In pool D the likely winner will be Piovesana (AUT), 5th place at the Paris Games and always exciting to watch. She’s dangerous with the counters but also has the traits of any great champion such as tenacity and perseverance and she’s taken Clarisse to the wire before. There’s would be a highly anticipated semi-final.
Whatever happens among the rest of the group, all eyes will be on Clarisse Agbegnenou. She plans to make history again and we will be right there watching.
