#TeamJudoAus are looking to jumpstart their 2023 campaign in Almada.
Charles Hall – JudoAUS Media
January 27, 2023
After an exciting and successful 2022 season that saw #TeamJudoAus bring home an unprecedented 10 medals from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, the team is ready to get back on the mat in 2023 as the push for Paris ’24 begins.
And there is no better place to start off the new year than at the first IJF event on the calendar, the 2023 Portugal Grand Prix in Almada on 27 – 29 January.
Six (6) #TeamJudoAus seniors will descend upon the small southern neighbouring city to Lisbon, along with 580 other judokas representing 83 nations, to compete for valuable Olympic qualifying and World Ranking points.
This event will also serve as a kickstart for the #TeamJudoAus Seniors who will compete in several international events over the next month as they continue to prepare for the upcoming world championships on the 7 – 14 May in Doha, Qatar.
Judo Australia had the chance to catch up with the six (6) #TeamJudoAus athletes ahead of this weekend’s inaugural event to see what they are looking forward to in 2023.
Tinka Easton – Women’s -52 kg
“I am excited to start the 2023 campaign in Portugal. This is going to be another big year of competitions and I am looking to build on the momentum and success I had in 2022 and the Portugal Grand Prix is great place to start.”
“Looking ahead, the Paris Grand Slam is the event that I am most excited about competing at. I love the atmosphere of the crowd and the competition is always strong.”
Josh Katz – Men’s -60kg
“The opportunity to start the new year with a clean slate is always good. Being healthy to compete and doing so consistently is what I am looking forward to in 2023.”
“These first three (3) events will be a challenge for us, and I am looking forward to the test, but the Paris Grand Slam is the one I am most looking forward to. I have never the opportunity to compete this event and it’s one of the most prestigious events on the calendar, so I am excited for the opportunity and experience.”
Maeve Coughlan – Women’s -63kg
“Getting back on the mat on the International stage is exciting. My goals for this year are to continue to build, get some more wins, staying injury free & compete consistently.”
“The Portugal Grand Prix is going to be an amazing event. It’s the first qualifying event of the year with a huge number of entries, so that will be a great atmosphere and I’m looking forward to that, but I am also excited to compete in Bulgaria & Poland where I am hoping to secure my first European Open medal.”
Nathan Katz – Men’s -66kg
“I’m excited to put together a big and consistent year and to put myself in a great position to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games next year. It’s also great to have my brother Josh back with me on the tour and to chase our dreams together.”
“The Paris Grand Slam is one of the most prestigious events in the world with an incredible crowd and atmosphere. I’ve only competed there once before and I’m extremely excited to compete there again.”
Aoife Coughlan – Women’s -70kg
“I am looking to build off the successes of last year and to continue pushing myself for more podium results, as well as the rest of TeamAus as we lead into the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.”
"The Tel Aviv Grand Slam is always such an amazing event. The Israeli people love their judo and always create a great atmosphere at the competition which makes it so much more exciting to compete, so this is definitely circled on my calendar as an event I am looking forward to.”
Following the Portugal Grand Prix, #TeamJudoAus will compete in several events across Europe with more team members joining in as the tour progresses.
Here is a list of upcoming events:
27 – 29 JAN – IJF Portugal Grand Prix, Almada, Portugal
04 – 05 FEB – IJF Paris Grand Slam, Paris, France
11 – 12 FEB – EJU Sofia European Open, Sofia, Bulgaria
16 – 18 FEB – IJF Tel Aviv Grand Slam, Tel Aviv, Israel
25 – 26 FEB – EJU Warsaw European Open, Warsaw, Poland
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Article by: Charles Hall