Author: Wolfgang Eichler
It came as no surprise that host nation Austria would not be represented in the final block on the first day of competition at the Upper Austria Judo Grand Prix in the Tips Arena. Nevertheless, Judo Austria head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch was not dissatisfied with the interim results. “Our chances of winning medals will come on Saturday and Sunday. Today, we mainly had young athletes competing. For them, the main thing was to gain their first experience on the World Tour. Ziv Sherer’s debut was very positive. His two victories were impressive but in the third fight against Christodoulides from Cyprus, his lack of experience became apparent. Ziv lacks training and competition at the highest level, but he will have these opportunities with us in the coming months. Marcus Auer’s performance in the -66 kg was also very positive. He was on the verge of victory against Olympic bronze medallist Denis Vieru, throwing the Moldovan three times, that speaks for itself. Four seconds before the end, Marcus then ran into a counterattack and was eliminated. That was a blackout. It is a shame, because victory was definitely within reach and then the door to the final block would have been wide open.”
Snir-Bönisch is more than optimistic about Saturday: “If all goes well, we could have three judoka in the fight for medals with Michaela Polleres, Samuel Gaßner and Bernd Fasching. At least one medal should be possible.”
My name is Ziv
Ziv Sherer has dual Austrian-Israeli citizenship, thanks to his Austrian grandmother. Since January of this year, the light-weight judoka has been a member of the LZ Multikraft Wels club, and last Monday he was cleared to compete for Judo Austria. This morning, Ziv made his debut on the World Tour and was delighted to secure his first two victories. Sherer defeated Olympic starter Ali Popalzai from the IJF refugee team and Dutchman Jochem Van Harten. A countable result, top eight finish, was prevented by his third-round defeat against Petros Christodoulides (CYP).
Immediately after the Upper Austrian Grand Prix, Ziv Sherer, who currently still lives in Haifa, will prepare to move to Linz. From June onwards, he plans to study economics and train with the Austrian national judo team at the Olympic Training Centre in Upper Austria. Further judo appearances for Austria are already planned. Next event: end of March at the European Open in Dubrovnik (CRO). “I enjoyed being able to compete on the IJF World Tour for the first time but of course I would have hoped for more than two victories,‘ said the 20-year-old, giving a mixed assessment. ’Ziv fought very respectably, he can be more than satisfied with his GP debut. Of course, he still lacks international experience,” praised ÖJV Sports Director Markus Moser.
It has been a long time…
Magdalena Krssakova (-70kg) looked relaxed but at second glance, the Linz resident’s growing nervousness is noticeable. It has been 650 days since the 2024 World Championships in Abu Dhabi that the 32-year-old Viennese last competed on the mat. The 2020 European Championship silver medal in Prague and the Grand Slam medals in Istanbul and Tel Aviv ‘feel like an eternity ago’. Two knee operations forced her to take a 20-month break.
“Keeping my fingers crossed for my teammates, greeting familiar faces. I don’t have much planned for today. The weigh-in in the afternoon is just a formality. I don’t have to watch my weight… I’m not used to that in my current form. I don’t have to think about food all the time, I can eat carbohydrates without hesitation.”
Now, of all places, she is making her comeback at the home Grand Prix in Linz on Saturday, the second day of competition. The Tokyo Olympic starter is attempting a fresh start in the light middleweight division. “It feels really strange: the long break and also the new weight class, I have almost forgotten what it feels like to prepare for a competition. So I’m quite nervous now but I have got nothing to lose,’ emphasised Magda. ‘My parents will be here, along with a few friends from Vienna and Linz but they know too: it’s been a long time since May 2024.”
It will be Saturday morning, shortly after 7:30 a.m., when she learns the name of her first-round opponent from head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch in the hall. “I have always done it that way.” Shortly after 11 a.m., in the 16th fight on mat one, Magdalena Krssakova will make her comeback on Saturday morning. Her next appearance is scheduled for next Saturday at the European Open in Warsaw. “It is about slowly getting back into competition mode and collecting points.“
The man behind the scenes
Olympic medallist Ludwig ‘Lupo’ Paischer had actually planned to attend the Upper Austria Grand Prix in Linz. Numerous meetings with athletes and coaches had long been arranged but the current uncertain global situation threw a spanner in the works for the 44-year-old from Salzburg. Paischer, who has been working for the Red Bull Group as a sports manager in Japan for ten years, is now available to Judo Austria as an external consultant. “Most of his services will be provided digitally, via video conference and there will also be face-to-face meetings once or twice a year,” says Austrian Judo President, Dr Martin Poiger. “Lupo will share his experience as a world-class athlete and top manager with athletes and coaches alike, providing new impetus. This involves performance and personal development, post-career planning and expertise in coaching matters. We have been in contact for some time now. Now the collaboration is being made public,” shared President Poiger. “I would like to offer my services to judo in general and the Austrian Judo Association in particular, as a token of my appreciation for the help I received during my career.” Dr Poiger appreciates Paischer’s offer: “Lupo knows what matters. We look forward to working with him.”
Images: Oliver Sellner
Author: EJU Media