Preview World Championships O78kg

A total of 34 women will be fighting for the world title to including world and Olympic champion Idalys Ortiz of Cuba. The World ranking list and seeding is led by Chinese Song YU. Despite the number of women, there are no real weak ones in the field. The level is quite high and a lot of surprises can happen. In the same pool with Yu also Japanese Kanae Yamabe. Nihel Cheikh Rouhou is the favourite in pool B, tall women and powerful. Ma Sisi of China is one of them and capable to reach the semi final against Yu or Yamabe.

Ortiz will have to face Odkhuu Javzmaa of Mongolia in her first match, not impossible if Ortiz is fit. Kayra Sayit, now fighting for Turkey instead of France, won the Grand Prix in Budapest but at world level she didn’t take her chance yet. Emilie Andeol is the convincing double European champion, but her first match is against Megumi Tachimoto, last year’s bronze medallist, immediately a match where the ultimate sharpness is necessary. Also Maria Suelen Altheman, last year’s silver medallist in that same pool death.

German Franziska Konitz is high ranked in perhaps the weakest pool but still hard to predict.

Altheman, Ortiz and Tachimoto all won a medal over the last two years, so they are the favourite with the Chinese women.

Watch all statistics for each individual match here