You can rely on Polleres

With a quick Ippon victory over the British Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown, Michaela Polleres fixed bronze at the Judo World Championships in Doha. The 70-kilo athlete had already been third on the podium at the 2021 world title fights in Budapest. “I’m hugely relieved to have my second World Championships medal,” said the Olympic silver medalist, who, after winning three preliminary rounds, only lost to Germany’s Giovanna Scoccimarro in the semifinals.

“It would have been possible to win gold,” said the Lower Austrian, who was handicapped by a knee injury during preparation. “Michaela wasn’t able to train fully until two weeks ago. This bronze medal cannot be overestimated,” said head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch. Polleres, who entered the tournament as number three, has not completely left the injury behind. “I’ve already felt my knee injury, in training I’ve had to cut back a lot in the last few weeks.”

After Sabrina Filzmoser (she passed the police service exam yesterday) in third place in 2010, Austria’s judoka remained without a medal in global title fights for eleven years, they have written every year since 2021. For this World Cup, Snir-Bönisch has given out two medals as a goal. Aaron Fara (up to 100 kilos), the winner of this year’s Grand Slam in Antalya, is going to the mat today.

Vakhid Borchashvili injured

Wachid Borchashvili is out of Sunday’s mixed team competition. The World Cup seventh left Doha with a knee injury. An MRT examination is to clarify whether the 24-year-old Marchtrenker can start at the home Grand Prix in Linz at the end of May. He is replaced in Doha by Junior Bernd Fasching.