French team good for 17 medals at European Cup Malaga

The team of France dominated the European Cup in Malaga with six gold medals and nineteen medals in total. A strong Korean was present and took five gold medals. Host Spain was unlucky with three lost finals but captured eleven medals in total.

Especially the French women were strong with four titles in the South of Spain. The first three weight categories were won by the French. The tournament showed a good progress with 317 participants more than 30% extra judoka than the best ever year 2013. The combination with the OTC next week is a great value.

French Lucile Duport won the first gold U48kg against Spanish Cinta Garcia Mesa. Amandine Buchard always feels well in Spain and this time took the gold medal U52kg against Ana Perez Box (ESP). Lola Benarroche was the expected winner U57kg in a strong but quite equal field where Ines Beischmidt captured a silver medal. The German middleweight was very happy in this field of 30 women. For FISU Champion Benarroche it’s her second European Cup victory.

Dutch woman Antoinette Hennink (28) became one of the few women who won the tournament for a second time and the only one who captured the Malaga title in two different categories. This year Hennink stepped back to U63kg. She won the title as well in 2012 U70kg. Despite her victory and important work at Bundesliga level, Hennink wasn’t selected for the Grand Prix in The Hague from 17-19 November. On Saturday she bested Iana Poliakova of Russia in the final. Another Dutch victory for Evelien Berndsen who captured the title U70kg. She defeated French Agathe Devitre in the final and the top podium between three French athletes. Hennink won her sixth European Cup which brings her in the top 5.

Triple IJF Tour winner Madeleine Malonga overcame Stessie Bastareaud in an all French final U78kg in a strong field with former bronze World Junior medallist Lisa Dollinger and FISU Champion Valeria Ferrari. The heavyweight title was for Olympic Games fifth placed Kim Min-Jeong.

The Koreans gave a good impression with gold for former World Champion An Baul U66kg and 21-year old Kang Heon-Cheol U73kg. Lee Seung-Su won gold U81kg whilst 2015 World Champion Gwak Dong-Han took the gold U90kg against British Frazer Chamberlain who made it to the golden score against Gwak and forced into 2 minutes 50 seconds extra time before Gwak took the victory. However the French men also added two gold medals. Richard Vergnes won another All French title. Joseph Terhec captured the title U100kg against Ferdinand Ansah (NED). The last gold medal of the tournament was for Vincenzo D’Arco who won the tournament in 2014 as well and repeated his golden performance by a win over 34-year old veteran Angel Parra (ESP). 

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