Who will fight at the Judo Test event in Rio?

This week 106 athletes will be part of the Olympic test event in Rio de Janeiro. Five foreign nations sent athletes to test the venue and conditions. France, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and Lebanon will fight some quality talents from Brazil.

Brazilian judoka Daniel Cargnin won bronze at the 2015 World Junior Championships in Abu Dhabi. He is the current World Ranking leader U66kg in the juniors. Brazilian judo talent Layana Colman won the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014. She took a bronze medal at the World Cadet Championships in 2013 in Miami. Brazilian judoka Rafael Macedo won the World Junior Championships U21 in 2014 in Miami.

Further the Brazilian team consists of a few top talents such as Alexia Castilhos, Jessica Pereira, Gabriel Pinheiro, Jessica Santos and Eduardo Yudi Santos.

The French bring in French judoka Romaric Bouda who became European Cadet Champion U18 in 2014 in Athens, Nicolas Chilard, Yasmine Horlaville and Mallaurie Mercadier.

Vivian Herrmann became German judo champion in 2015 and 2016 and bronze in 2014 U63kg. She won the European Cup in Malaga in 2015. Herrmann won World Junior bronze in 2014 in Miami and European Junior silver in 2012 in Porec. Also German judoka Dominic Ressel is supposed to be one of the strongest U81kg. He won the German national title in 2016. In Düsseldorf Ressel won bronze in 2016.

In the British team the name of Ashley McKenzie is the most known. His fiancé Automne Pavia won Olympic bronze in London, now he takes the opportunity to prepare well for the Games. McKenzie won silver at the Grand Slam in Tyumen in 2015 and is multiple British Champion and former European U23 champion. In Rio he will take part in U66kg, one of the two categories. Also some European talents in European Junior Champion Lucy Renshall who will fight U63kg, also Bekky Livesey, one weight up, but good for the test. Jonathan Drane, Chelsie Giles and Samuel Hall are some of Britains top talents to pick up some ‘Olympic’ experience.

From Hungary Franciska Szabó will fight U63kg. Szabó won the European U23 title in 2012 and participated at European and World Championships.

Japan will send a few youngsters such as  Chishima Maeda. She took a bronze medal at the World Cadet Championships in 2013 in Miami. Japanese judoka Kaho Yonezawa won the World Cadet Championships in 2011 in Kiev U52kg. Further Joshiro Maruyama and Toshimasa Ogata will be on the tatami in Rio.

For Lebanon Nacif Elias will fight U81kg. He is born in Brazilian but switched to Lebanon in 2013.