The opening of the Olympic season is even more special. While there are only a few months left before the Paris 2024 Games, for all the athletes present in Portugal over the weekend, a new chapter is opening, a blank page that will have to be filled with golden letters.
We cannot say that the result here does not matter. It is obviously quite the opposite because the points at stake can affect the situation profoundly. There are the judoka who strive to secure their place in the top 17 of each weight category, guaranteeing them the ticket for the Games. There are those who aim for the top 8 and a seeded place in Paris. There are also those who are still in a gray area and who do not yet know if all their efforts will be enough. The continental quota is an objective but it retains its share of uncertainty.
Finally, there are all the others who are present in Portugal to see, to test, to already prepare for the next Olympic cycle. They are young, they have the future ahead of them and, why not for some, they will also be able to qualify for this summer. Although this is not the first objective, we know that in judo everything is possible.
From first light this morning, all scenarios presented themselves on the tatami of Grand Prix Portugal 2024 and this made the competition particularly interesting. The time that separates us from the opening of the Olympic Games may still seem long but it is very short indeed. Everything is speeding up and everything is becoming clearer. The number of participants in Odivelas is proof that all the delegations understand that everything is at stake now and that if there was only one risk to take it was to participate because everything is possible.