The quality is also impressive. No fewer than nine Olympic champions will be making an appearance, as well as triple world champion Tato Grigalashvili (GEO), who will be making his WJT debut in Upper Austria at -90 kg, having won gold at the Warsaw European Open just a few days ago. Lightweight Francisco Garrigos (ESP) and -81 kg world number two Matthias Casse (BEL), to name just a small number, are also planning to compete.
Host nation Austria has the largest delegation with 36 athletes, followed by France (26) and Hungary (23). The best chance of victory, from the host nation's point of view, can be attributed to Olympic fifth-placed Lubjana Piovesana who is also ranked fifth in the IJF world ranking. At the Baku Grand Slam in Baku she managed to beat world champion Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) in the bronze medal contest. The home tournament in Linz is the last test for the 28-year-old before the European Championships in Podgorica (MNE) at the end of April and the 2025 World Championships in Budapest in June.
Piovesana said, "Since Paris, I don't think too much about results and world ranking points, I just try to concentrate on my fights and have fun. I was out of action for almost three years before the Games. When I came back, for Judo Austria, I was far too tense at the beginning; I tried too hard, with a crowbar."
Judo Austria head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch knows her protégé's worries only too well. As a young athlete, the Olympic champion and world silver medallist was anything but a ‘home tournament’ type. "I was a real scaredy-cat and didn't like the pressure of having to compete in front of my own family and friends, to put it charmingly. I would have preferred to skip tournaments in my local area, Potsdam and Berlin.”
Now, as Austrian head coach, she has nothing but positive things to say about the Upper Austria Grand Prix in the TipsArena in Linz, "As the host, the ÖJV is entitled to four starting places per weight class; this also gives a number of young athletes a chance to get a taste of World Judo Tour flair. We can present ourselves as a sport to a wider audience for three days, not forgetting the TV presence. The atmosphere in the hall is really good and the athletes feel comfortable. You also get to meet everyone who's anyone in Austrian judo."
Without exception, junior world champion Elena Dengg has positive thoughts about her home tournament. "I'm looking forward to my first full season in the senior class and to my season opener in Linz. My mum will be with me in the hall. This eliminates the usual phone call with her; I definitely prefer the personal contact. I'm usually better when she's keeping her fingers crossed for me on site."
There are still 10 days to go until the first day of the competition and all the entries and statistics can be followed via JudoTV.
Source: Austrian Judo Federation - Wolfgang Eichler