"The most important thing to notice today is that none of the top seeded judoka of the day made it to the finals. This shows how difficult and competitive it is to compete at this level. This Olympic cycle is still uncertain when it comes to who will go. Of course there are the very top athletes but behind them there are still a lof of places to be allocated. This also shows the importance of the upcoming world championships. The 'big guns' will be there to secure their qualification and seeding and it will be the last chance for everyone. Such a grand prix ast he one here in Linz is crucial for all the others.
Today Austria had two good chances for medals. The first one seemed obvious with Michaela Polleres where the second was less obvious but this is great for the organising committee and the host country. Bernd Fasching was a total outsider though and he has had a superb competition.
This is all good for the public as well. I mean, they came to enjoy the judo and there is a lot to be enjoyed. You have top judoka and you have the locals who, with the support of their home crowd, can perform. I'd say that as far as entertainment is concerned, the public can be more than happy.
I am pleased to see the Japanese team. They are here with a young team, some judoka being junior world champions. They are here to learn and at the same time they offer a great show of pure Japanese style.
I must say, as an aside, that the set up of the venue is great. With four tatami on display, we enjoy watching a lot of judo!
From a more technical point of view, along with Neil, we have noticed something very interesting and it concerns both men and women and ne-waza. When you are facing a good ne-waza specialist, your first reaction is to not go on the floor with him or her, it could be a dangerous place for you. When you escape one time, two times, sometime three times, you end up exhausted, totally. The ne-waza specialists have understood that. They want to win on the floor but when it's not possible, because the defense is still good, you know that you are making your opponent tired. The only way to win, if you are not a ne-waza specialist, is to throw but if you are exhausted because of the previous escapes, it's over. One athlete who understood that perfectly is Jack Yonezuka (USA) at-73kg, Joanne Van Lieshout (NED) too. Once they have exhausted their opponents on the floor, they can either conclude there or throw. This is a really interesting trend.
I want to conclude by saying how impressed I am by Maria Perez (PUR). She comes from a so-called small judo country but she has been on the circuit for many years and she is still performing at the highest level. This is remarkable."