Closing in to a very special event in Georgia, with the Covid19 still as a strong factor. No doubt that the the pandemic have an impact at the tournament, but everything is set to go off as planned. The difference between how the nations have been able to prepare are huge. Some nation has not been allowed to train and do sparring, others close to normal. Anyway, we dive into the categories to take a look into the line up..
Women + 65kg 11 fighters
In this category we have three world champions..! Counting six fighters with a European tittle, in different organisations. Naturally, Szepesi Csenge / Hungary attracts attention. Not only as the world champion from 2015, but what could one expect after a break and a comeback? We believe that we should have expectations that follows the merits in this case. Not to forget, Csenge Szepesi did secure the spot by winning the Hungarian qualifying tournament earlier this year. But the level has increased also, so it will be a really tough comeback – as she probably welcome!
Teammate – also Csenge – But Csenge Tóth. Again one fine example of the U21 fighter (U21 EC champion) coming into the senior category, and prove to be skilled enough to hang with the best. Made it to the 3rd place in 2019 EC, became the runner up in the EFKO EC. In this final, she lost against Brigita Gustaitytė / Lithuania – and she is the second world champion in this category. KWU World Champion in 2019, European Champion inn 2020 EFKO – besides that, a ton of various merits from different tournaments. Reached the final in Shin EC last time, (2019) but was beaten by the 3rd world champions in this category: Agata Winiarska /Poland.
Agata Winiarska world champion – as mention, but do you remember that she is a double world champion? First time in the IFK World Championship in Romania, 2017. later same year, the KWU world championship tittle was secured. And just to add: Agatea became the runner up in 2019 KWU World Championship. Being the reign European champion from 2019, makes her the defender of the tittle.
Teammate of Gustaitytė, Rima Lisinskaitė, European Champion 2019 KWU (beating IFK World and EC Campion Svetlana Tuchkova /Russia) Poland with their second fighter, also a European Champion Shin, Monika Zielińska. She came up from -65kg, as reign champion, but will have no problem coming into this category. This transition are coming naturally, Zielińska has been fighting several times in the Open weight category with good results.
So, Hungary, Poland and Lithuania with their six fighters: Three world champions and all of them are European Champion also.
Croatia, Norway and Ukraine also represented in this category, these fighters have lighter merits – but do have good experience fighting at this level. Kristina Kojundžić / Croatia has been fighting for a long time, an in matter of fact she has faced many of the top fighters as Csenge, Gustaitytė, Rima – always good fights. Gregusson of Norway came into the EFKO podium in 2020, losing against Gustaitytė – but was the only fighter in the category forced Gustaitytė into an extra round.
Anastasiia Khrustalova / Ukraine, similar calibre – experienced trough many years of fighting on the top level. Teammate Anastasiia Nesterenko, being the youngest fighter in the category (18) will gain experience to establish herself in the senior division, similar to second fighter of Norway Østebrød.
The DRAW will as always play a role – and in this category, it will be highly interesting to see who faces who in the opening round – when the category have so many top fighters – some of them will face each other in the first fight.