Since the inception of the European
Championships in 1951, Holland, home to the great Anton Geesink, has
hosted the event seven times. Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port and was
this year’s venue and an ideal opportunity to rehears for the
2009 Worlds at the same Sportpaleis AHOY’ venue. Built in 1970 it has a
history of holding regular pop concerts and was ideal for this event with
a superb sound system and flashy lighting that was not good for the
photographers.
Right: Opening ceremony with a woman's mouth played as a musical
instrument
All four non-Asiatic
Olympic champions absent
As so often happens before a World Championships -
this year scheduled for Cairo in September – some of the favourites were
absent including all four non-Asiatic Olympic champions. Firstly, Ilias
Iliadis GRE (left at Paris earlier this year)who, extraordinarily at the age of 17,
convincingly
won the Athens 81kgs division and
now fights at 90kgs, recently has won the prestigious Paris Super World
Cup. In the same 90kgs category, Athens champion Zurab Zviadauri of
Georgia was absent along with 100kgs champion Ihar Makarau BLR. On the
women’s side 57kgs Athens gold medallist Yvonne Boenisch from Potsdam,
Germany also preferred to stay away.
Olympic
champion Ilias Iliadis GRE was absent along with
Olympic champion Yvonne Boenisch GER
More ippons from the
women
The event ran over three days and saw good
performances from the home team
with Elisabeth Willeboordse winning her first major title at 63kgs and
Edith Bosch, Athens silver medallist, taking the 70kgs gold
(right)and her second European title. In
the semi-final Bosch convincingly defeated the 17 year
old
junior world champion Anett Meszaros (left)of Hungary. Meszaros fought back through the repercharge to gain a
bronze and her first senior level medal.
Alina Alexandra Dumitru
(right)of Romania defended her 48kgs gold medal and won all
her contests by ippon often utilising her
extraordinary running te-guruma. Celine Lebrun of France, at 28, returned
to form and won her fifth European title at under 78kgs extinguishing
all
her opponents by ippon while British heavyweight, Karina Bryant
(left), added her fourth European title to her two World silver
and two bronze medals in preparation for Cairo
and her attempt to win the gold.
Mikhaylin back on form
for Cairo
On
the men’s side Alexander Mikhaylin (left)of Russia was the most distinguished champion adding a third
European heavyweight title to his two World gold medals with all ippon
victories – the only man to do so. He appears to be finally out of the
extraordinary bad period that he experienced prior to Athens, for which he
did not qualify, when he was disqualified for passivity at the Osaka
Worlds and from then on had trouble
even winning a contest, let alone a medal. The only other men’s returning
champion was Elchin Ismaylov of Azebajan
(second right of medallists)who took the 66kgs title with
three ippons and two wazaris to win his third title.
In the other weights two reserve fighters took gold
medals.
Christophe Humbert of France (left) just
beat favourite Ariel Zeevi ISR for the light heavyweight 100kgs title
after Ghislane Lemaire pulled out. In the 81kgs division, Ole Bischof
of Germany (right below winning the final),
last year’s silver medallist took the title with his very effective drop
seoinage for ippon in the final after replacing Denis Huck who broke his
leg prior to the
championships.
In the lightest weight defending 60kgs champion
Ludwig Paischer of Austria (below left unhappily
with his silver medal)lost the final to a controversial ippon
by Armen Nazaryan of Armenia. He was awarded ippon for an uncontrolled
twist against Paischer who
had
him off the ground and stumbled onto his back. I understand that the EJU
are using the video of this final in their future referee training
courses.
If it had happened at next September’s Cairo Worlds
the referee and judges would be expected to view the new video specialist
recordings of the contest to support their instantaneous and sometimes
incorrect decisions. Hopefully, for all concerned, the new technology,
which has been used in many other Olympic sports for a number of years,
will be incorporated into future European Championships.
2009 Worlds at the same Sportpaleis AHOY’ venue. Built in 1970 it has a
history of holding regular pop concerts and was ideal for this event with
a superb sound system and flashy lighting that was not good for the
photographers. 
convincingly
won the Athens 81kgs division and
now fights at 90kgs, recently has won the prestigious Paris Super World
Cup. In the same 90kgs category, Athens champion Zurab Zviadauri of
Georgia was absent along with 100kgs champion Ihar Makarau BLR. On the
women’s side 57kgs Athens gold medallist Yvonne Boenisch from Potsdam,
Germany also preferred to stay away.
with Elisabeth Willeboordse winning her first major title at 63kgs and
Edith Bosch, Athens silver medallist, taking the 70kgs gold
old
junior world champion Anett Meszaros 
extraordinary running te-guruma. Celine Lebrun of France, at 28, returned
to form and won her fifth European title at under 78kgs extinguishing
all
her opponents by ippon while British heavyweight, Karina Bryant
On
the men’s side Alexander Mikhaylin 
even winning a contest, let alone a medal. The only other men’s returning
champion was Elchin Ismaylov of Azebajan 
medals.
Christophe Humbert of France
championships. 
had
him off the ground and stumbled onto his back. I understand that the EJU
are using the video of this final in their future referee training
courses. 
