Wittenberg/MZ. – “Vizekusen” is back! This is what the Piesteritz judoka <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2023/06/gold-plated-twice-judo-austria/" title="Gold plated twice – Judo Austria”>Olaf Rodewald was once called. This is a reference to the Bayer Leverkusen footballers, who were once always in second place. The fighter in green and white also used to specialize in silver. But all of that is history. The kickers are currently the German champions, and Rodewald can call themselves world champions. But now it’s happened again. This time the champion becomes vice world champion.
International parquet
At the World Championships currently taking place in Las Vegas, five judoka from SV Grün-Weiß Wittenberg-Piesteritz are on the international stage: Olaf Rodewald, Wolfgang Löffler, Harald Fungk, Guido Bars and Michael Traus.
Bars is unlucky right from the start. On paper, in his weight class, which has 18 fighters, he has two preliminary fights lined up. However, after three opponents in his pool were lucky enough to get a bye and thus survive the first preliminary round without a fight, he had to admit defeat against the American Alexandre Lopouchanski and was eliminated after the first preliminary round fight.
Photo: Janet Tietke
Things are going better for Traus: Although he initially loses his fight against the eventual world champion Brian Herskowitz (USA), he takes his chance in the consolation round against the American Uno Spencer and thus reaches the fight for bronze. Here again he is dealing with an American, Anthony Olivieri. The effort of both fighters is noticeable. The German takes part in some actions on the ground, but each of them is interrupted prematurely by the referee. Ultimately, the American prevails with a foot technique and thus relegates the Wittenberger to an ungrateful fifth place. The German, European and world champion from 2023, Wolfgang Löffler, is also back on the mat. He fights his way up to the fight for third place. There he faces the Japanese Tsuneo Tashima. After just 38 seconds he puts it cleanly on the mat with Ippon and secures bronze. Harald Fungk is also in the fight for third place. There he will face Nacer Nouasria from France. Against the Frenchman, a waza-ari was enough for him to secure the bronze medal.
Rather dampened hopes
Rodewald starts with an injured knee. Nevertheless, he fights his way to the final against the British Winston Ginsberg, the Ukrainian Oleg Chernetskyi and the Canadian Olivier Bry. The Kazakh Kanat Mambetov is waiting there. He doesn’t get involved with Rodewald’s desired foot technique. After a good half of the fight, Mambetov takes a chance, turns into a deep Seoi Nage and thus decides the final in his favor. Vice Rodewald.
