The biggest European club competition – Champions League, ended with a victory for Yawara Neva (St Petersburg), who defeated Red Star (Belgrade) in the men’s competition.
It was the first victory for the Russians after two previously lost finals.
A little earlier, Galatasaray (Istanbul), claimed the victory in the women’s division. The Turkish team finally captured that big cup. The team included Kosovo’s Olympic champion Distria Krasniqi who won her match in the final against the strong team of RSC Champigny to secure the second title in its history.
Clémence Émé and Anne M’Bairo’s team confirmed its place among the best European teams and its great consistency by securing a third consecutive final in this competition.
For the other French clubs, the day did not go so well. After a French head-to-head between SGS Judo and US Orléans, won by US Orléans, the Geneva team lost in the match for bronze and finished in 5th place.
Flam 91, the only men’s team, also finished in 5th place after losing to the German team TSV Abensberg, which this time didn’t include Lukas Krpalek, who fought for the Germans for many years. The Olympic heavyweight Champion this time competed for Red Star that was extremely successful in both women’s and men’s competition.
The men from Belgrade reached the final and gave the later winners Yewara Neva a great match, but in the end the Olympic Champion Krpalek lost to Inal Tasoev by ippon in the last contest. Krpalek did give his team the decisive points in the quarter finals and in the semi finals though.
The spectators in the hall were able to benefit from a great field of athletes. Olympic medalists, world or European champions and some of the big names competed in Paris.
The competition closed the Judo season of 2021. Many of the athletes present this Saturday will meet again in Paris in a few months within the framework of the next edition of the Paris Grand Slam. The season opens in Lisbon in the occasion of the Grand Prix of Odivelas.
