The judoka from Vigo Laura Vázquez (-63 kilos) yesterday began her path to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at the Grand Prix of Portugal, in which she could not pass the first round after winning the first match and losing the second.
The Famu athlete, runner-up in the junior world last year, is taking her first steps in the absolute category at only 19 years old and yesterday she faced her first international test of 2022 in the Portuguese town of Almada. In the first confrontation, Laura beat the Portuguese Margarida Bras, but in the second she fell by ‘ippon’ against the Croatian Iva Oberan, who in addition to winning the ‘pool’ won the silver medal at the end. The gold went to the Dutch Joanne van Lieshout.
In the same weight, the also Spanish Cristina Cabana finished in fifth place after prevailing in her ‘pool’ and losing precisely against the Dutch champion.
The Portuguese Grand Prix concludes today in Almada with the heavyweights and among them will be the Famu de Frutos judoka Nikoloz Sherazadishvili, who debuts in the -100 kilos category after abandoning the -90. With the new weight unknown, Niko will debut against the Mongolian representative Khangal Odbaatar and, in case of victory, will face the Portuguese Jorge Fonseca, who has been exempt from the first fight.
