Judo Grand Prix Montreal looking forward to some major clashes

Canada is excited with the first Grand Prix ever in the nation. After a long run with good talents since 2013 Canada is now able to fight with a competitive team, have successfully won the bid for an IJF World Tour event and this weekend Montreal is the centre of the World of Judo.

On Thursday the draw for the Montréal Grand Prix took place at the Auditorium of the Olympic Park Tower. A historical setting for this first ever major judo event in Canada as the iconic Tower is a legacy of the 1976 Summer Olympic Games that were hosted in the city.

In Montreal we will see 249 judokas from 50 nations ready for a fight and there are a number of spectacular judoka present. Not in quantity but in quality.

For the instance the category U60kg for men will include Russian Robert Mshvidobadze who is the only top-ranked fighter in the tournament. With Takato as well in the line up the weight category can be spectacular. Not even mentioning the two strong Brazilians who are in the same pool.

Japan has three reigning World Champions entered; Takata U60kg; Hamada in the women’s 78 kg class and Asahina in the +78 kg group and worth while mentioning is double World Champion Soichi Hashimoto U73kg.

Two Rio 2016 Olympic champs are also in the field, with Krpalek in the men’s +100 kg group and Pareto in the women’s 48 kg class. The plus weight class will be interesting as we might see a repeat of the Olympic final in 2016 between Teddy Riner and Hisayoshi Harasawa. Let’s hope we see a clash between tall Lukas Krpalek and Teddy Riner, two Olympic Champions in one battle.