Women + 60 kg category – seventeen fighters from eleven nation. The heaviest category in the women division have three world champions among the fighters in the line up, and now we will get another one! This category, in this championship with this line up, will give the value of this world tittle sky-high.
+60㎏ WOMEN HEAVYWEIGHT
In the heaviest category for women, the level raises even more. Naturally, when one bring two weight categories into one (not all the regions have this, but the European region this is a fact) A quick overview gives us the fact that we have three world champions – that is an hmm “ok” start.
Looking at the first match-up it is safe to say that the fuse burns. Multiply European Champion Ivanka Popova / Bulgaria. Usually fights in the -65kg category, and might find fighter’s way beyond her category this time since this is the top weight class. Well, Popova has been ready for that in previous events, with great results. Being the EC open-Weight champion from 2018, we conclude that Popova is ready. Surprisingly went out in the second fight this EC losing to the champion to come Berta Szalay / Hungary. Popova will face Aimi Suzuki / Japan, which is physically of the same capacity – on paper. Aimi Suzuki have a lean relaxed style, with slick kicking-capacity. At this level, everybody have a solid all-round base, but everyone has a preferred distance, style or tactic. Popova have a very strong drive and can turn on the intensity when it matter, Aimi Suzuki seems to prefer distance – but can of course trade punches if it comes to that – if it comes down to that, who will win?
The winner can for sure not rest for long, because in the next fight we are leaning towards the favourite Agata Winiarska / Poland to advance. Winiarska will face Farnaz Maleki / Iran representing the Middle East region. Maleki is an unknown name for us, and we cannot recall seeing her in an international championship either. She is going up against a double World Champion (KWU/IFK) – and it is natural that we see the favourite advance. If so, Winiarska have to fight Popova or Aimi Suzuki.
Winiarska did not manage to pull through in this year EC, did fell for an early exit during the IFK World Championship in June – but for our case we are not worried at all. Winiarska is so experienced and have such a strong team in the Lamot Dojo, where five fighters are ready to participate in this championship. A World Champion knows how to turn things around, adapt and come in even stronger next time – in other words: this time.
We mentioned World Champion Winiarska and the same goes for Brigita Gustaitytė / Lithuania (World Champion KWU) far as we know teamed up with Edit Abraham for further development. We can see a parallel between Gustaitytė and Winiarska. Gustaitytė also an earie exit in this year EC but have great record from previous years. Remember that both was on the EC podium I Georgia 2021. Gustaitytė have reach and some weight in her favor facing Reka Kerekes / Hungary.
High activity into different championship for Kerekes, building a solid base and experience. Coming from a 3rd place in the IFK World Championship now this June. Kerekes got some great technical skills that grow for each championship. The physical aspect follows – to be a little more patient on that part since we are talking about a relatively young athlete of 21 years, can one allowed. Then comes the question of whether the match will be a physical challenge first – or whether it will be more in the technical direction. Often you naturally get a combination of both, but it is clear against a supposedly stronger athlete that these can be factors to calculate in the game plan.
Another factor will be the length of the fight and not just in that fight alone. A long fight will take it tolls I the next as well so one does not wish to end up in more extensions than “necessary” In this fight many factors play in, but for sure a hard one to crack for both – fighting for the right to face even harder test in the next. The winner of Brigita Gustaitytė vs Reka Kerekes will most likely face Kokona Nomura / Japan vs Carolina Fernada Munize / Brazil
Kokona Nomura from Tsukamoto Dojo represented japan in the 12th World Championship. Do also have top spots in the All Japan Open JFKO and became the Asian Champion in 2018. A solid fighter with experience. Munize has a solid record in Brazil, and has been fighting for ten year. That said going up against an international Japanese fighter, national team member will be beyond a big challenge. Muniz is up for a hard test – with likely Japanese advancement as a result. How Nomura will handle Gustaitytė or Kerekes will be another story, and a factor in how much the first fight did cost.
On the other side of the draw, we start with one of the Japanese profiles Yuna Mokudai. Some of you will know Mokudai as the “High speed punch girl”- promoted trough social Medias. Others of you have seen Mokudai few years back, coming into the top field of Japan and taking top spots in All japan Open tournaments. In other worlds, this is a top fighter from a top nation. “High speed punch girl” Does not hold back to deliver knee and kick techniques either.
You need to be experienced to confront this – and luckily, the opponent is a very experienced fighter Anna Bojda / Poland. Bojda making her way to the EC final this year and took her 2nd place in total. Our impression is that Bojda has clearly improved her game later seasons. Still strong forward, but seem to raising the pace and intensity also. Will it be enough to advance in this line-up? Bojda fighting for her home crowd, Yuna Mokudai bring the heavier title.
The winner will most likely face fresh IFK Word Champion Emma Markwell / U.K. – if we judged after the tournament record. Emma Markwell will face Azhar Akylova (Zhaxybayeva) / Kazakhstan. Akylova attended last time also, lost to the World Champion from 2011 Emi Shoguchi. One could mention that Akylova got some weight advantage – if one look at it that way. We angle it this way since the weight of Markwell is the same as Shoguchi, when she fought Akylova. Can Akylova hold the pressure on a high-paced technical Markwell – known to solve situations like this?
In the next match-up Aneta Meškauskienė / Lithuania vs Yuina Koizumi / Japan. We tend to repeat pace and high pace fighting, especially when the fight include Japanese fighters. This will most likely be one of the main factors in this fight as well. Meškauskienė been fighting for many years, and got tons of experience. Not known for quick fights and explosive shoot-outs, but on the other side is the experience to last out in longer fights.
Koizumi do not have the top spot as Meškauskienė, fought well in to the second round of the 53rd All Japan Open. The reach advantage and experience will be Meškauskienė – as the lower gravity and higher pace will be Koizumi. Who can bring the fight into the best pattern? If the fight goes into extension, Koizumi will have a bigger challenge – we think.The winner could risk facing one of the big favourites in the line-up.
Sanne Larsson / Sweden representing Europe vs Ayanda Dlamini / Africa representing the region of South Africa. Larsson qualifying in the twelfth hour, used to go up against the top-level fighters that will come in handy. Dlamini is total unknown for us, and we cannot tell the level of experience or fighting. The winner will definitely face a huge challenge in the next round, where a fresh Monika Zielińska / Poland will be ready.
Monika Zielińska has been impressing, especially after the Covid lock-down. It seemed that no one could threatened her in the European Championships, not in 2021 and not in 2022. We keep on repeating the 2021 EC where she advanced trough three world champions. We are afraid that we will keep on doing that until someone can come up with the same achievement.
If Zielińska get a similar start like the EC in 2021, it will be a serious challenge for everyone. I is hard to predict advance into several rounds, naturally. that said Zielińska proven to be so strong in her drive – with the possibility to end fights before full time. Explosive combinations, with good variations – and especially kicks with well-timed subsequent punches do their job – and that’s just the starter on the menu.This might end in the best achievement she have reached – up to now. That said – All fights must be fought and all victories must be taken.
No doubt that we are in for a strong tournament, where the top fighters will fight for the top possessions. As mention, when a championship require qualifications, you will raise the level. To have a qualification also means that one must have a large enough group, a high number of fighters that can fill all the possessions.