MADELENE RUBINSTEIN WAKES THE SLEEPING BEAUTY OF THE NORWEGIAN ANTHEM

European Judo Open Belgrade 2017

There is little doubt that today will be an unforgettable day for Madelene. The 22 year old Norwegian won not only her first gold medal at an EJOpen, she is also the first female Norwegian judoka in the final of a World Cup since 2006. Absolutely overwhelmed she stood proudly on the podium listening to her National anthem and enjoyed that unique moment.One of the first to congratulate her on telephone was her coach Baard Hulengren, with whom she has been working together for the past 6 years and who watched all her fights at home on the EJU live stream today. Maybe one of the keys to her success was having trained with Majlinda Kelmendi. Rubenstein learned a lot there, as she tells us in the interview.

Podium -60 kg 1. ARSHANSKI, Artiom (ISR) 2. VERGNES, Richard (FRA) 3. ZAMANOV, Elbrus (AZE) 3. MANQUEST, Vincent (FRA) – Kostadin Andonov

Podium -66 kg 1. PIRAS, Matteo (ITA) 2. BUNCIC, Strahinja (SRB) 3. HALL, Samuel (GBR) 3. LAROSE, David (FRA) – Kostadin Andonov

Podium -73 kg 1. CERCEA, Marcel (ROU) 2. N ZINGO, Samuel (FRA) 3. VALIYEV, Telman (AZE) 3. LA ROCCA, Julien (FRA) – Kostadin Andonov

Podium -48 kg 1. POP, Alexandra (ROU) 2. STADDON, Kelly (GBR) 3. ADRASTI, Elisa (ITA) 3. MAMMADALIYEVA, Gultaj (AZE) – Kostadin Andonov

Podium -52 kg 1. RUBINSTEIN, Madelene (NOR) 2. ROSSO, Julia (FRA) 3. NIKOLIC, Milica (SRB) 3. GIORDA, Francesca (ITA – Kostadin Andonov

Podium -57 kg 1. TOPRAK, Acelya (GBR) 2. GUIHUR, Amelie (FRA) 3. GREENBERG, Maayan (ISR) 3. WULFF, Pauline (GER) – Kostadin Andonov

Podium -63 kg 1. SHOR, Rotem (ISR) 2. RENSHALL, Lucy (GBR) 3. OBRADOVIC, Jovana (SRB) 3. OBRADOVIC, Anja (SRB) – Kostadin Andonov