(Belga) Jeroen Kaas (IJF 86) was knocked out in the first round of the repechage in the -73kg class at the Portuguese Judo Grand Prix, Saturday in Almada.
Casse started with an ippon victory over Slovenian Martin Hojak (IJF 23). He then defeated Portugal’s João Chrysostomo (IJF 272) in Waza Ari before defeating, in Ibon, Georgia’s Luca Cabanadze (IJF 397). Mathias’s brother Kaas then lost on ippon in the quarter-finals to Kazakhstan’s Zansai Smagulov (IJF 17), prompting a comeback. Cup faced Moldovan Adil Usmanov (IJF 127), losing on ippon to the golden score. On Friday, Ellen Salins (IJF 31) was knocked out, in the first round, by Turkmen Kurbanay Qurbanova (IJF 175) at -48kg. Amber Ryheul (IJF 27) also failed to win in her first fight, losing in the ippon to Kazakhstan’s Aigerim Abilkadirova (unranked) at -52kg. On Sunday, it will be Sami Choshy (unranked) and Karel Faubert (IJF 129) for the tatami in the -90kg. This will be the first championship in this category for Sami Shoshi, who decided to go from -81 to -90kg in the hope that he can go to the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. The Brussels resident, sixth in the world in -81kg, was led by Matthias Cass, the second in the world, is on the way to the Games. Only one player from each category and per country is actually allowed at the Olympics. Favorite
