At the draw, representing the IJF, were Head Sport Director Mr Vladimir Barta, Education Director Mr Florin Daniel Lascau and Logistics Director Mrs Louisa Agius Galea.
Present for the Austrian Judo Federation were AJF General Secretary Ms Corina Korner, Upper Austria Head of the Sport Department Mr Gerhard Rumetshofer and Upper Austria Judo Federation President Mr Manfred Reisinger.
Mr Vladimir Barta opened proceedings, “Good afternoon and welcome to the official draw of the 4th edition of the Upper Austria Grand Prix. On behalf of IJF President Mr Marius Vizer, I’m pleased to welcome all delegations to this third IJF WJT event of the year. After successful tournaments in Paris and Tashkent, we are here again with almost 500 athletes and 59 countries. Thanks to Austrian Judo Federation President Dr Martin Poiger for the organisation and hospitality. I wish all judoka good luck for the coming days.”
Ms Corina Korner then took the floor, “Dear ladies, gentlemen, representatives of the IJF, all athletes, coaches and officials, we are very proud to welcome all athletes and nations here in Linz. We are proud to host this event for the 4th time and it is great to welcome athletes from all nations to the region of Upper Austria. Our team has gained great experience over the last 4 years and so we thank the IJF for their continued trust."
"We are all well aware of the challenging times the world is facing and so we appreciate the spirit of friendship on the tatami even more. Seeing so many nations side by side reminds us of the core values of our sport.
The new ‘Mind Dojo’ will be in place for the first time on the World Judo Tour. This is about placing the wellbeing and mental health of our athletes at the centre of what we do.
Thanks to the volunteers who support all this work. We hope you are all comfortable here in Linz.”
Mr Gerhard Rumetshofer then spoke warmly on behalf of the region, “It’s a great pleasure and honour that the IJF is coming to Upper Austria again. For three days, the sporting region will be dominated by emotion, passion and high class competitive action. This is a strong sign of the importance of this event. Around 480 athletes have come to compete at the highest international level."
"The Upper Austria Grand Prix is a sporting flagship and an impressive example of what happens when professionalism and enthusiasm come together. International top stars and our best local athletes meet here and it is precisely this mixture that makes this weekend so special.
Since the premier in 2023, the federation and the local volunteers have demonstrated impressively that it is possible to organise sporting events at the highest standard, here in Linz. Their commitment ensures Upper Austria enjoys excellent visibility on the world stage of judo. We are proud to have you all here with us and welcome you all to a high class weekend of competition. Welcome to Upper Austria!”
Mr Lascau then offered words of assurance, noting the very high level of the selected referees present, ensuring fairness, consistency and transparency.
Mr Barta then guided the draw for each category, showing the seeded athletes and the final line-ups. Once the draw was complete, some general information was shared, all available on the dedicated event Telegram channel.
Competition Start times:
Day 1: 09:00, with the opening ceremony at 16:40
Day 2: 09:30
Day 3: 10:00
The final block will be at 17:00 each day, all medal contests on mat 2.
To close this important part of the competition weekend, here is a reminder of the new Mind Dojo initiative, as mentioned by Ms Korner. This will be up and running in the warm-up area of the Upper Austria Grand Prix. All athletes, coaches and delegation personnel are invited to explore its benefits throughout the competition; a space established for the benefit of everyone.
Keep up with all the action live on our comprehensive platform, JudoTV.com. We look forward to sharing a wonderful weekend of judo with you either here in Linz or online.