Preview World Championships U81kg

The weight category for men U81kg contains 76 fighters, the same number as U73kg, but definitely not a record. The World Championships in 2011 broke all participants records in all categories and U81kg had 83 judoka, but we know only the quality counts. That quality is extreme this edition with the best players of the world.

From the second round, for most judoka their first matches have some outstanding fights to look out for. World Champion Tchrikishvili will fight the talented Dutch youngster Frank de Wit, whom he met before at the European Team Championships. Alain Schmitt will likely face Laszlo Csoknyai in that same pool A, not very spectacular for the current world champion, where Sven Maresch is the other seeded player in the other block.

Pool B hosts European Champion Ivan Nifontov who may meet with Korean Lee later on, but former European junior champion Roman Moustopoulos (GRE) versus double world and double Olympic medallist Leandro Guilheiro of Brazil is an interesting opening match for both. Nagase Takanori of Japan shouldn’t worry too much in the beginning.

On the other side of the table World number two Valois-Fortier faces world number 20 Otgonbaatar. A bit further away the centre of war is in the block with 2011 vice world champion Mrvaljevic, he will meet with German European bronze winner Alexander Wieczerzak. That winner will face Travis PanAm Games champion Stevens, who’s not fit and may not even survive the first shift. In the next block Olympic champion Kim Jae-Bum is the favourite to reach the quarter final.

Loic Pietri is the seeded man from France in Pool D. It’s not an easy pool but doable for the Frenchman who wins a medal at almost each event, in that he qualify for the quarter final at least. Brazilian Victor Penalber is the hope for his country for a medal. He will face Sergiu Toma (VAE), not someone to underestimate. Other pirates in the next block are Yakhyo Imamov, North Korean Pak and ambitious youngster Ushangi Margiani (GEO). It’s going to be a long day for the strong guys, time not to waste too much energy in the beginning. The red backnumber is at stake.

Watch all statistics for each individual match here