The Junior World Championships start on Wednesday in Dushanbe (TJK). 531 judokas from 67 countries were named, including five Austrians. Perhaps the biggest hope for a medal, Elena Dengg (-70/ESV Sanjindo Bischofshofen/S), who won bronze at last year’s Junior World Championships in Odivelas (POR) and is seeded number 4, will start against Holly Devall (GBR), number 30 in the IJF junior ranking, in the tournament. ÖJV sports director Markus Moser was very optimistic after the draw: “We were saved from big chunks. Like last year, you can definitely count on our team with at least one medal and one or two placings. “
Carina Klaus-Sternwieser (-52/Askö Reichraming/Upper Austria) will be in action on Wednesday, the first day of the competition. The 19-year-old, number 8 in the junior world rankings and ranking number 6, will face European youth champion Alyssia Poulange (FRA) at the start.
The following day, Franziska Schlögl (-63/Judozentrum Krems/Lower Austria) and Lisa Tretnjak (-63/SU Noricum Leibnitz/ST) were in action. The 18-year-old from Lower Austria will meet Eduarda Bastos (BRA), as she did at the Junior European Cup in Paks (HUN) in mid-July. In Paks, the Brazilian almost had a better finish: Bastos took second place, Schlögl third. Lisa Tretnjak had to play against Ingrid Choco (COL/6). The Colombian, 18, is the vice-junior champion of Panam.
On Friday, competition day number 3, the chances of an ÖJV medal are perhaps the greatest: Elena Dengg (-70/ESV Sanjindo Bischofshofen/S), who was third in the U-21 World Cup last year, leaves the European Championships after a knee injury Tallinn (EST) at the beginning of September to concentrate for the peak of the season. Her opening opponent, Holly Devall (GBR), is only 30th in the IJF rankings, but has already won the Junior European Cup in Kaunas (LTU) this year. “On paper, Elena is the clear favorite, she has always been able to deliver in big tournaments in recent years,” said ÖJV sports director Markus Moser. Teammate Issa Naschcho (-81/LZ Multikraft Wels/Upper Austria), who recently came seventh at the Junior European Championships in Tallinn (EST), is also favorite against Emir Selim Ari (TUR).