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Craig Fallon, Team GB’s
first judo player to go into action at the Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games, opens his campaign against Monaco’s Yann Siccardi on Saturday
(9 August).
Success in his opening preliminary round contest in the under-60kg
class is then likely to put him head-to-head with Austria’s Ludwig
Paischer, the reigning European champion.
But Fallon has avoided an early contest with the Holland’s Ruben
Houkes, winner of the 2007 World Championships and silver medallist
at the 2008 European Championships. The pair were in opposite
halves of tonight’s (Thursday) draw.
Sarah Clark is the next British player to go into action – she
competes in the under-63kg class on Tuesday (12 August) and faces
arguably the toughest challenge of any of the Brits.
Clark is drawn against Austria’s Claudia Heill, the silver medallist
in Athens four years ago. If she gets past that she will come
up against Cuba’s Driulis Gonzalez, who has fought at each of
the last four Olympic Games and medalled at each. Her medal haul
includes gold at under-56kg at Atlanta in 1996 and bronze at under-63kg
in Athens four years ago. She is also the reigning World Champion.
Euan Burton also fights on Tuesday – he takes on Argentina’s Emmanuel
Lucenti in his opening contest at under-81kg.
Winston Gordon goes into action at under-90kg the following day
(Wednesday 13 August) – he begins his campaign against Khurshid
Nabiev of Uzbekistan.
Michelle Rogers and Peter Cousins both fight on Thursday (14 August).
In the women’s under-78kg class Rogers meets Korea’s Gyeongmi
Jeong, bronze medallist at the 2007 World Championships and silver
medallist at this year’s Asian Championships.
Cousins also has a tough opening opponent in Georgia’s Levan Zhorzholiani
in the under-100kg class. He came fifth both the 2007 World and
European Championships and struck gold at the World Cup in Tbilisi,
Georgia this year. Cousins won silver at last year’s World Championships
and beat the Georgian en route to finishing fifth at this year’s
European Championships.
Craig
Fallon
© David
Finch
For further
information please contact Emma Taylor on 01509 631695 / 07875032287
or via email emmataylor@britishjudo.org.uk
or James Sills on 01509 631670 x230 / 07967957873 or via email
jamessills@britishjudo.org.uk
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