Trailblazers Polleres and Fara absent for the first Grand Prix in Austria

After the World Judo Championships - Doha 2023, which crowned 14 world champions, the Upper Austria Grand Prix will give the opportunity to many athletes to gain more points or to erase a counter-performance at the worlds. However without the two trailblazers who are on form Michaela Polleres and Aaron Fara.

Everything had been tried until the very end, but in the end common sense prevailed: “The risk of injury again would simply be too great. We can't risk that for Michaela Polleres or Aaron Fara before the Masters in August in Budapest, both will only be there as spectators in Linz," emphasize ÖJV head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch and sports director Markus Moser. 

Polleres, third in the World Cup, has suffered from a collateral ligament injury in his right knee since the Grand Slam in Antalya, Aaron Fara injured his thigh flexor and ribs in Doha. "Both really wanted to start before their families and friends, but both will keep their fingers crossed for the rest of the team (40 judoka) from Thursday to Saturday," says Snir-Bönisch.

Among the competitors that we will be happy to follow are double Olympic champion Lukas Krpalek (CZE), recently a runner-up in Doha, the French mixed team Olympic champion and former world champion Madeleine Malonga, Axel Clerget (FRA), the youngest world champion ever Daria Bilodid (UKR), former world champion Anna-Maria Wagner (GER), another runner-up in Doha Giovanna Scoccimarro (GER), world number 1 Dennis Vieru (MDA) and, of course, the top local aces such as world championship fifth placed Lubjana Piovesana (AUT), the successful brothers Shamil and Wachid Borchashvili (AUT).

Logically, the host nation has the largest delegation with 4o athletes, followed by neighbouring Germany (23), Great Britain (20), Italy (19), Spain (18) and then Brazil, France and Ukraine (17 each).

On Thursday the first judoka will already be in action, including 4-time Olympian Sabrina Filzmoser (AUT), who is giving her final farewell to the ÖJV national team.

The comeback of a World Judo Tour event in Austria, a country of judo, is symbolically important and has been promoted well in the region.

Watch the current starting list for Linz