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With just five days to
go to the 2010 GB World Cup, the organisers, volunteers and spectators
are all ready to be a part of one of the biggest international
judo events held in Great Britain.
The competitors are all
in final preparations and with 22 countries confirmed to compete
at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham; it will be a tough
competition.
As the final entries are
still coming in, we take a look at how the weight categories are
looking so far.
In the -48kg weight category
Spain’s 2009 World Championships silver medallist and 2010 European
Championships bronze medallist Oiana Blanco will take to the mat,
as will Britain’s defending champion Kimberley Renicks.
The -52kg competition will
be busy, with three highly ranked French players fighting, including
World ranked no.17 Marine Richard.
Gemma Howell’s old rival
Hedvig Karakas will compete in
the -57kg competition. The Hungarian is ranked fourth in the World
and recently won bronze medals at the 2010 European Championships,
IJF Masters and Paris Grand Slam. But Howell is catching her up
and beat her at the Junior Polish ‘A’ Tournament earlier
this year.
In the -63kg France again
has one of their top players competing, alongside Urska
Zolnir of Slovenia, 2009 European Champion and World ranked no.10.
The -70kg boasts three
top 20 players, including France’s decorated fighter Marie Pasquet.
In the -78kg weight category,
the four British fighters Samantha Lowe, Lindsay Purves, Louise
Little and Fiona Jones have to contend with Sophie-Anne Mondiere
, a former Olympian, five-time European Champion and three-time
World Championship medallist, as well as top players from Italy,
Germany, Belgium, Canada, Poland and Portugal.
The +78kg completion will
see Britain’s Sarah Adlington defend her title against the World’s
elite, including strong competition again from France.
Adlington said, “I am really
looking forward to getting back out there after the World Championships
the other week and defending my title at the GB World Cup.
“It is a really good event
and the home crowd are there to support you.
“I have just come back
from training in Japan, so have had a couple of days rest, but
just looking forward to it fighting again.”
Read more about the French
team here and more about the star-studded
Brazilian team here.
Changes have been made
to the 25-strong British team due to injuries. A notable loss
to the team is two-time GB World Cup medallist Sarah Clark (-63kg)
who sustained a neck injury at the World Championships last month.
Selected to compete in
the -63kg competition is 18-year-old Charlotte Potter who will
make her GB World Cup debut on day one of the competition.
Also forced to withdraw
was Gillian Hendry in the -48kg weight category, which has made
way for youngster Freya Dechastelain. The 16-year-old cadet impressed
at the 2010 Junior European Championships a week ago winning a
bronze medal and will benefit from the experience of a senior
World Cup event with the British crowd behind her.
Dechasterlain is the second
youngest British player to compete at the event, after Gemma Howell
was selected in 2006 at the age of 15.
Enfield’s Siobhan O’Neil
has had to withdraw from the -52kg competition due to injury.
Selected to take the spot is Stephanie Inglis from Inverness who
will fight for the fourth time at the 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.
Competing in Italy on the
same weekend as the GB World Cup will be Ashley McKenzie (-60kg),
Lewis Keeble (-66kg), Owen Livesey (-73kg), Winston Gordon (-90kg),
Josh Butler (-100kg) and James Austin (+100kg) at the Rome World
Cup.
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