Who are the top judo women for the Grand Prix of Portugal

The Grand Prix of Portugal is the first IJF World Tour event of this year. There are 301 athletes, 179 men and 122 women, who will fight for three days. There are illustrious names, such as Distria Krasniqi. The Kosovar is Olympic champion in U48kg but has come for the title in U52kg, the category in which she is most comfortable.

Of course Telma Monteiro is at the start, she is 36 and still going strong. After an Olympic bronze, 4 world silvers, 6 European golds and 8 IJF golds, she is still plugging away and will be competing in the first-ever Portugal Grand Prix. Her last competition before the Portugal Grand Prix was the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in November 2021, where she won gold. It was a triumphant comeback for her after a failing to medal in the 2021 Worlds and the Tokyo Olympics. She had previously stunned everyone by winning the European gold in 2021, which was held in Lisbon.

Another familiar in the U57kg category is World and Olympic Champion Rafaela Silva. She makes her comeback after she had lost her appeal for a doping ban. There were several news reports about that although nothing was ever confirmed. Her first return to the contest mat since the doping ban was at the 2021 Baku Grand Slam where she crashed out in the first round. She is now back in Portugal for the Grand Prix where, if she does well, she might meet up against her old rival Telma Monteiro. They last fought at the 2019 Brasilia Grand Slam, where she beat Monteiro for the bronze medal.

In this category veteran campaigner Telma Monteiro (POR) is the top seed, and the top favorite here. Two other interesting contenders are Silva (BRA) and Evelyne Tschopp (SUI) who has moved up to -57kg. Silva and Tschopp will be fighting each other in the first round. Who fighting in the other categories at day 1:

-48kg

The top seed here is Catarina Costa (POR), a two-time IJF gold medalist, who has nice ashiwaza. Her main challenger should be Andrea Stojadinov (SRB). They have fought three times before and Costa won all three matches, the last one being the 2021 Paris Grand Slam.

-52kg

Rising star Fabienne Kocher (SUI), a world bronze medalist, is the top seed here but she will have to contend with Distria Krasniqi (KOS) who has moved back up to this weight class, now that her teammate, Majlinda Kelmendi has retired.

Day 2 -63kg

This is the biggest weight class with 27 participants but there are not many famous names here. The top seed is Cristina Cabana Perez (ESP), who had previously won the 2017 African Open in Tunis. We wish we could have seen the international debut this year of Barbara Timo U63kg, but she is absent and just watching this top event. Timo has always been fighting successfully U70kg and won the Grand Slam of Paris in October fighting in her new weight class.

-70kg

The top seed her is the very experienced Maria Portela (BRA), a six-time IJF gold medalist. Although already 34 years old, she is still the top favorite here. Two interesting players to watch are Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown (GBR) and Ai Tsunoda Roustant (ESP).

Day 3 -78kg

The top seed here is Beata Pacut (POL), the 2021 European Champion. Two interesting contenders are Patricia Sampaio (POR) and Alice Bellandi (ITA) who will meet each other in the first round. 

+78kg

A small pool here with only six contenders. The top seed is Kim Hayun (KOR) whose last IJF outing, at the 2021 Tashkent Grand Prix, earned her a bronze.

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