Date: February 22, 2022
Marta Gaitero also represented the Judo Club Finisterre from Laguna de Duero and finished in seventh position.
Last Saturday and Sunday the ‘Fuengirola European Cup’ was held at the Juan Gómez “Juanito” Pavilion, a judo competition that faced 400 of the best European judokas. This was the thirtieth edition of the tournament and it was also the first round after the suspension due to the pandemic. This return also caused that of the almost 800 judokas from previous editions this year the registration had to be reduced.
Within the cadet category, a total of 229 participants competed, 37 boys and 92 girls. Laguna de Duero was represented in this continental championship by the Judo Club Finisterre. In the cadet category – 52 kg, Inés Villahoz reached the semifinals of a complicated draw with 16 high-level judokas. After beating the French, Lola Bos, in the first fight and the British, Madeleine Birri, in the second; Inés was one step away from the final against the Italian, Genevra Revelli. However, in the play-off phase, Ella Villadoz beat the American, Nicole Cancela, which allowed her to get on the podium of this European Cup.
Marta Gaitero also completed a worthy competition despite winning only one of the matches. In the cadet category -48 kg, a total of 14 judokas competed. Marta began the tournament by beating Nina Walter in the round of 16, but she would fall in the quarterfinals against the Italian, Alessandra Rocco. Following this loss, Gaitero entered the play-off phase where she ultimately lost to Azerbaijani, Vusula Hajiyeva.
With this tournament, the judokas from Laguna trained by Víctor Gómez once again showed their high level and returned to Laguna de Duero with another medal, in this case from a European competition.
