The Russian Judo Championship among boys and girls under 18 ended in Barnaul

On Sunday, November 12, the Russian Judo Championship among boys and girls under 18 ended in Barnaul.

During the tournament, which took place from November 9 to 12, seventeen sets of awards were played in the individual tournament on the tatami mats of the Titov Arena. 762 judokas took part in the competition – 434 athletes and 328 athletes from 76 regions of the country.

Alexey Toptygin (up to 46 kg), Nart Naguchev (up to 50 kg), Magomed Abdulaev (up to 55 kg), Inal Burunov (up to 60 kg), Yaroslav Bunakov (up to 66 kg), Timur climbed to the top step of the podium in the capital of the Altai Territory Davidov (up to 73 kg), Abu-Bakr Kantaev (up to 81 kg), Bogdan Gavrilov (up to 90 kg), Daniil Koronkov (over 90 kg), Zarina Tsakulova (up to 40 kg), Zita Kaloeva (up to 44 kg), Sofia Zakharova (up to 48 kg), Valeria Kozlova (up to 52 kg), Tatiana Tsvetova ( up to 57 kg), Victoria Martynenko (up to 63 kg), Zlata Suprunenko (up to 70 kg) and Anna Petrunina (over 70 kg).

According to the results of the personal tournament, the strongest among young men were athletes from the Krasnodar Territory, who beat representatives of the Republic of Ingushetia and the Moscow region. Among girls, judokas from the Krasnodar Territory also took first positions, ahead of athletes from the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and the Perm Territory. The North Caucasus Federal District took first place in the overall ranking, leaving the Southern Federal District in second place and the Volga Federal District in third place.

— In most categories, athletes who were already part of the Russian national team and won prizes at tournaments at different levels reached the podium. So, in the 66 kg category, two “tested” leaders – Bunakov and Parchiev confidently advanced through the tournament category and staged a very good final. Last year’s medalist in the 73 kg category, Kantaev, won in a tough semi-final and then in a hard-fought match for gold in the 81 kg category. Among “last year’s” medalists, Gavrilov, the champion in the 90 kg category, and Naguchev, who weighed 46 kg in 2022, have now become the best in the 50 kg category. The podium was renewed in the heavyweight and 60 kg categories – two favorites did not reach the final. Ahead of the team are training camps, the first of which is scheduled for February 2024, and tournaments – Russian and foreign. I hope that next season the youth team will also have the opportunity to try their hand at international tatamis, just like the adults and juniors. I would like to note the high level of organization of competitions in Barnaul. The team of the president of the regional federation, Ivan Nifontov, has good experience in organizing large competitions (“Triumph Energy” is their most famous project), and in November 2023 they managed to make the Championship of Russia a real sports festival, staging it in a beautiful hall, with crowded stands and a powerful audience program, “the press service of the Russian Judo Federation quotes the coach of the Russian Judo team as saying. young people, Kirill Voprosov.

— Almost all predictions came true, we managed to see competition in all weights, the girls really fought for first place. The winners of the championship were included in the national team, and now training camps, training sessions and new beginnings await them. Already in December, the national team will take part in the All-Russian competition “For Tagir Khaibulaev Prizes”. Perhaps the result in the category up to 57 kg, where Tsvetova won, was unexpected for me. I was pleasantly pleased with Kaloeva, who improved physically and technically compared to last year. I would also like to note Tsakulova: the girl came to our training camp at her own expense, and it was immediately clear that she was hardworking and determined. But she is not yet 14 years old,” said head coach of the Russian women’s national team (under 18) Flora Mkhitaryan.