Brenda Olaya first ever junior world champion for Colombia

On day 4 of the Dushanbe World Championships Juniors 2024 the -78kg Colombia won the world title for women. In the final Brenda Olaya (COL) and Mathilda Sophie Niemeyer (GER) offered a demonstration of powerful and committed judo. In tachi-waza and in transition, both gave of their best, enthralling the spectators in the Kasri Tennis Arena. Cheers, applause and whistles rose as near-miss after near-miss draw them in. With 40 seconds to go, Niemeyer very nearly scored with a ura-nage but the landing was quite right and so they pushed on towards golden score.

Olaya continued with her left uchi-mata, osoto and harai-goshi techniques and the German competitor countered or escaped all of them until eventually Olaya changed tactic and performed her own reverse technique to become junior world champion. This is an incredible result from a strong field; amazing for Colombia and for Panamerica.

Brenda Olaya (COL), at the top of pool B, held her ground all the way to meet Camilo in the semi-final. She lay an incredible path, treading on Moreno Campo (ESP), throwing Otawa (JPN) for waza-ari in the last ten seconds of their round of 16 contest and then dismantling the French judoka in the quarter-final.

Lila Mazzarino (FRA) and Buddenkotte (GER) fought for the first bronze medal of the day 4 categories. It was a high-energy affair with powerful attacks and strong defence from both athetes. A huge sumi-gaeshi from Buddenkotte after 2 and a half minutes of non-stop action was the decider. Ippon was called and the German punched the air, proud of her fantastic achievement.

Buddenkotte of Germany led pool C and her teammate Niemeyer (GER) worked hard to ensure she also obeyed the ranking. The two Germans had a fantastic morning, grinding out wins, coping with pressure and forcing themselves to stay on par, neither falling behind to the advantage of the other, but in the semi-final only one could win and it was the latter, Mathilda Sophie Niemeyer, a tactical victory.

The second bronze medal was won by Camilo who was close to submitting to a shime-waza from Polina Iudina (IJF) but she escaped it and responded by throwing for waza-ari. Iudina tried to equalise but Camilo was too sharp and delivered a low o-uchi-gaeshi to win a third bronze medal for the Brazilian team.

To pass Spain, Japan and France is quite something and perhaps not expected by many, despite the ranking. This Columbian has visions of Yuri Alvear in her eyes, and why not? The evidence is there that the smaller judo nations can break through at the highest level. Alvear did, maybe Olaya can too.

In advance Shirinjon Yuldoshova (UZB) was Group leader and she began well by throwing Marie Kosnarova (CZE) fro waza-ari.

The Czech athlete reminded us all of an important judo lesson, that the contest isn’t over until the gong and she threw Yuldoshova to equalise, an impressive o-uchi-gari in the last second. She then outworked the number one until 3 penalties were collected. Kosnarova was through and the number one was out.

Brazilian Dandara Camilo put paid to Kosnarova’s hopes of a place in the final, beating her in the round of 8. Brazil was in the semi-final and the Czech judoka dropped into the repechage.

Niemeyer’s opposition in the final, not from France or Japan, was Brenda Olaya who won an all-Panamerican semi-final. Now she is the first ever Colombian Junior World champion. Triple senior World Champion Yuri Alvear will have a smile on her face seeing a possible follow-up of her own success.