Austrian icon Sabrina Filzmoser will compete at Linz Grand Prix

Austria will compete at the Upper Austrian Grand Prix in the Tips Arena in Linz (25 - 27 May) with a total of 43 judoka, including all nine Austrian World Championship participants (Katharina Tanzer/-48, Magdalena Krssakova, Lubjana "Lulu" Piovesana/both -63, Elena Dengg, Michaela Polleres/-70; Marcus Auer/-60, Shamil, Wachid Borchashvili (-81), Aaron Fara (-100).

No less than 20 Austrian starters will celebrate their World Tour premiere in Linz. The youngest starter is 17-year-old Ronald Pröll (-90), the oldest starter is "local hero" Sabrina Filzmoser with 42 (-57. Also the three Borchashvili brothers (Kimran, Shamil, Wachid) will be at the start in Linz.

So far 179 athletes from 34 nations have registered for the Austrian Grand Prix, with former World Champion and Olympic silver medallist Madeleine Malonga (-78/FRA) leading the way. The Austrian Grand Prix is the first World Tour tournament after the World Championships in Doha (QAT/7 - 14 May).

Until last year Austrian hosted a European Open (Oberwart) which was before a World Cup. Actually in 2000 and 2001 it was called a Grand Prix, way before the IJF World Tour introduced Grand Prix and Grand Slam events. The former A-tournament started in Leonding since 1989 and switched to Vienna in 2006 and since 2013 the European Open was held in Oberwart until last year where Michaela Polleres celebrated a gold medal, Polleres who is on form in this moment as well. Filzmoser won the World Cup in Leonding in 2005. She will turn 43 in June this year and still compete in the IJF World Tour.