We won’t forget about the acrobatic style of David Garcia Torne who won one of Spain’s two gold medals; the other won by Eva Perez Soler at -48 kg. Spain added a bronze at -60 kg, ensuring they were at the top of the medal table heading into day 2.
We also won’t forget about the clinical approach of Distria Krasniqi (KOS). We know she is a powerhouse; she was at -48 kg and she is again at -52 kg. She sliced through the -52kg women like a katana, offering no respite for anyone but she alone could not take Kosovo to the top of the table. Behind Spain were France and Serbia and then came Kosovo. France’s position bolstered by the excellent performances of Enzo Jean and Valadier Picard, 1st and 2nd place at -60 kg.
Day one also brought a special moment for the home team as Ana Viktorija Puljiz ensured the organisers would have a medal on the opening day; it was a silver, a hard-fought silver, one appreciated by the crowd. Her medal was presented by her federation president, Dr Sanda Čorak, an added bonus for them to share.
As the curtain came down on the first day of competition, there were a lot of smiles to be seen. Day two is now on the horizon, a busy one. Tune in to JudoTV from 10am local time to catch all the action as it unfolds.