Angelo Pantano now fights on instinct

Former European Cadet and Junior Champion Angelo Pantano of Italy was awarded with the for the ippon of the year in the annual IJF awards. At the Grand Prix in Zagreb he launched a standing kata guruma and won impressively. In Zagreb he took a silver medal which is his best international senior result. Pantano was surprised and reacted online

Pantano: “Kata Guruma is not my typical technique. It was a throw by instinct. I just judo and I enjoy competing and fighting and try to always throw for ippon.“

In an online show IJF General Director Vlad Marinescu presented this part of the IJF awards and announced the winner from Italy who was nominated among other breathtaking throws: Daria Kurbonmamadova (RUS) was nominated for her spinning uchi-mata In Kazan year. French Orlando Cazorla threw his opponent by utsuri goshi at the Grand Slam in Paris over his back and got the French audience on the bench. Larissa Pimenta had an outstanding sode tsuri gomi goshi in Tashkent’s Grand Slam which makes judo look easy. Olympic Champion showed his form this spring in Antalya with his amazing uchi-mata.

Pantano: “I am very happy and in Zagreb it was my first medal in the World Judo Tour and winning this award is fantastic and I want to thank everyone who voted for me and I want to thank my coach, my teammates and my girlfriend.”

Pantano fights in the lightweight category and was Italian Champion in 2017 and 2019 but was never able to take a medal at European Open level although he was close Sofia and Prague previously but in Zagreb he fought with his pure instinct and finally his potential could be seen by judo fans. As a cadet Pantano won gold at various European cups and claimed European gold U18 years in Tallinn in 2013 and followed up his success rapidly with a European junior title in Bucharest. It took him seven years to gain success at Senior level but the joy and pleasure in doing judo remained. It delivered him this international recognition.