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Judo powerhouses France
have finalised a 24-woman squad for the GB World Cup at the NIA
Arena in Birmingham on Saturday 2 October and Sunday 3 October.
The two-day spectacle has
attracted some of the sport’s strongest nations and France will
be expected to be among the front-runners as they call on a world-class
roster of judoka’s.
The French team, who will
compete against fellow standouts from the likes of Russia and
China, features five-time individual European Champion Anne-Sophie
Mondiere as well as former Olympians and World Championship medallists.
France will be well represented
in all seven categories as their players look to secure ranking
points to boost their chances of Olympic qualification and tackle
some of the world’s finest female judoka.
The IJF world circuit event’s
lightest category, under 48kg, features four French fighters.
Elena Benard , 23, of Homes Alfort Judo Club,
a silver medallist at the 2010 IJF World Cup in Cairo will be
in action along with Tiphaine Chauve , who claimed
the French Championship title in January. SGS Judo Club’s Aurore
Climence , 23, and former French U20 Champion Marlene
Robert will also compete.
Stepping up to the under
52kg category the highly-touted squad will field four judoka’s.
Delphine Delsalle , a 2010 French Championships
runner-up and IJF Cairo World Cup silver medallist and 23-year-old
Emilie Lafont will both return to England where
they captured bronze medals at the 2009 British Open. Maisons
Alfort Judo Club’s Marine Richard , who took
gold at the IJF World Cup in Cairo this year, and former junior
star Laura Holtzinger , 19, complete the quartet.
A further four fighters
grace the under 57kg category including Beijing Olympian and 2007
European Championship runner-up Audrey La Rizza .
2010 IJF Cairo World Cup gold medallist Sarah Loko ,
23, joins up with senior newcomer Morgane Brunet and
fellow 20-year-old hotshot Emmanuelle Baudin.
Moving up to under 63kg
France will have two representatives as Levallois Sport Club’s
Emmanuelle Payet and 2009 GB World Cup bronze
medallist Anne-Laure Poli of Pontault Combault
Judo Club will showcase their talents.
Four French fighters will
campaign in the under 70kg category including 2010 British Open
gold medallist Karine Berger . Veronique
Diebolt and Lucile Perrotte , who bath
captured bronze medals at January’s French Championships, will
link up with 2010 IJF Cairo World Cup silver medallist Marie Pasquet.
The heavyweight’s ranks
will feature a strong French contingent as the nation fields four
players in the under 78kg category. The all-conquering Anne-Sophie
Mondiere , a former Olympian, five-time individual European
Champion, two-time European Team Champion and three-time World
Championship medallist, is understandably the division’s most
decorated performer. 2010 French Championship medallists Emilie
Andeol and Rosalina Oukoloff will take
to the mat along with IJF Polish World Cup winner Eva
Bisseni .
Britain will also field
a strong squad as 25 players
compete on British Judo’s biggest domestic event.
Saturday 2 October will
see the women’s lightweight categories, -48kg, -52kg, -57kg and
-63kg step into the spotlight while Sunday 3 October will see
the -70kg, -78kg and +78kg weight categories do battle.
Tickets can be purchased
through The Ticket Factory on 0844 338 8000 or online at www.theticketfactory.com
and are priced at £14 for adults per day and £6 for children and
senior citizens.
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