© Joly Victor/ABACA
No Matthias Casse in the Belgian selection for the European Judo Championships in Zagreb. The Antwerp native wants to focus on his preparation for the World Cup and the Games.
No Matthias Casse in the Belgian selection for the European Judo Championships, which will be held in Zagreb from 25 to 28 April.
The Antwerp native is on an internship in Antalya, where the last Grand Slam will be held, and has decided, together with his Dutch-speaking staff, to focus in the coming weeks on his preparation for the World Cup in mid-May in Abu Dhabi and the Games at the end of July in Paris.
After winning the two Grand Slams (Paris and Tashkent) in which he participated, Matthias is more than ever the number 1 in the world in the -81 kg category.
His great rival, the Georgian Grigalashvili, number 2 in the world, who has not yet appeared in competition this year, will again participate in the European Championship.
The Belgian delegation consists of eleven judokas.
Four men: Jorre Verstraeten (-60 kg), Jarne Duyck (-81 kg), Sami Chouchi (-90 kg) and Toma Nikiforov (-100 kg).
And seven women: Ellen Salens and Lois Petit (-48 kg), Amber Ryheul (-52 kg), Mina Libeer (-57 kg), Alessia Corrao (-63 kg), Gabriella Willems (-70 kg) and Vicky Verschaere ( -78kg).