The month of May, which will see the organisation of the Abu Dhabi World Championships and of course the month of July and the big Olympic rendezvous are fast approaching. The more things progress, the more they become both precise for some and uncertain for others. If everything was written in advance, it would be known and would undoubtedly be a little sad, but it's definitely not the case.
On the contrary, Portugal in January, Paris at the beginning of February and now Baku, have given us excitement, goosebumps, joy and passion, each of the three competitions doing it in their own way, in the most beautiful way.
In Azerbaijan, a land of fire, the temperature has risen a notch. We were able to witness very competitive contests. Now is not the time to give up because, when the Olympic qualifications are over, in May, when it is time to take stock and the dream will come true for some, there must be no regrets.
All the medallists in Baku know that the job was done and done well. For the others, they will have to put the work back on the loom and move forward. This will be the case in just two weeks since the circuit will soon be established in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, another major scene for international judo. Then it will be Austria, Georgia, Antalya, Dushanbe, Qazaqstan and obviously the world championships, without forgetting all the continental events, which will distribute their share of points.
As we sign off in Baku let’s remember a few highlights such as the incredible ash-waza on day 3 from Song, Lytvynenko and Marinic. We can think about Babulfath’s -48 kg gold, an incredible feat for the Swedish teenager. Let’s congratulate Piovesana for not only her first grand slam final but for winning the gold at -63 kg in a competitive field. Last but not least, let’s congratulate the hosts, not only for the exemplary organisation of this World Judo Tour event but also for topping the medal table. Eight medals including 3 golds was a dominant performance and the coaches and administrators can be proud of their work. A lot is being invested here and Azerbaijan’s judo team is now reaping the benefits of such commitment.
