Russian Judo Federation Vice-President Valentin Khabirov told that the head coach of the Russian national judo team Ezio Gamba is currently in Sochi with a team preparing for international competitions.
Ezio Gamba, head coach of the Russian national judo team, was absent from the Tokyo Olympics. He was replaced by Hasanbi Taov.
– The Russian judokas are at the Sirius base in Sochi, preparing for the next international departures: Grand Slams in Baku, Abu Dhabi and Tokyo in order to qualify for the Paris Games.
– If Russian judokas are not allowed to participate in the Olympics, is there an alternative for them?
– The question was not asked of a possible replacement for the Olympics, but the Friendship Games will take place, which will take place after the Paris Olympics in September. They will not be an alternative, since the main team will participate in the Games. I hope so, but it will be another big international launch.
– Where is head coach Ezio Gamba now?
– Ezio Gamba at the Sochi base in “Sirius” with the Russian national judo team.
— Can we expect that in Baku or Abu Dhabi?
I can’t say who will go. All our coaches are checked by a consulting company before their admission to international competitions by decision of the IOC. If Gamba passes this test, he will leave.
– What are the tasks of the Paris Olympics after the failures of the Tokyo Games?
– I will not say that the unfortunate result was in Tokyo. Due to the pandemic, the Olympics have been postponed to 2021. This has affected our athletes, as young people have not had time to prepare for the current cycle, and athletes who have completed the pre-Olympic cycle faced difficulties as the Olympics were postponed for a year. Therefore, the athletes could not fully realize themselves.
What are your goals for the Paris Olympics?
– It’s hard to say, because our athletes have to be selected for these Games. Russian judokas have a limited number of tournaments to earn points. They are much smaller than the other teams. But I think we will see our athletes at the Olympics. I think we can expect two or three gold medals in judo, as was the case in London or Rio,” Khabirov told .
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
