Francisco Garrigos competes in Madrid U66kg

At the European Open in Madrid, double European Champion Francisco Garrigos is making his appearance in the class U66kg. Garrigos joked on his Instagram: “this time the scale will be my friend U66kg”

There is actually a little challenge for the successful Spaniard as he had never won the European Open in Madrid. He took bronze medal in 2016 when he was 21, now 27 Garrigos is a double European Champion U60kg and obviously keen to stunt to gold. But the opposition will be tough 66kgs heavier and unseeded. French Walide Khyar is the highest seeded athlete and also a former European Champion in the year that Garrigos took bronze in Madrid (2016). Garrigos defeated Khyar three our of four times U60kg. It could be a juicy final, certainly for the Spaniards that miss double World Champion Nikoloz Sherazadishvili.

Obviously there is an army of Spaniards at the start with 67 athletes the biggest team. In total there will be 426 athletes fighting in Madrid. It is four years after the last edition in Madrid in 2018 and this is a record of participants, an improvement of the record in 2018 (397). The field though is not very tough.

The highest seeded athlete is Spanish Ai Tsunoda (WRL-18) who was in the final of last week’s Grand Slam of Tbilisi U70kg.

Let’s see if Garrigos can show is specialty the one-handed sode with sommersault. Garrigos gave new life to the somersault approach. With uke securely loaded on his back, Garrigos then does a committed somersault, hurling uke over with him, and landing him flat on his back.

Read more about this special throw.