Over 400 athletes have attended the OTC in Porec, Croatia, this year, and though there may be notable absences, there are staple attendees including Lukas KRPALEK, Varlam LIPARTELIANI, Barbara MATIC, Rustam ORUJOV and many more of the IJF tour successes. They may be some of the more senior athletes on the tatami, but by no means do they give any less than their younger team mates or opponents.
We can however, see a great influx of younger athletes coming in, many juniors coming in to get a feel for what their senior careers will be like, the high standard expected of them, and what they will encounter on the tour. The countless randori that they will do this week will be but a contribution to a grand scheme, minutes on the mat, to be at peak performance for the upcoming major events. This is especially true for the European and world champions, world and olympic medallists who are gracing this mat in Porec and are still in the bid for world titles in Tashkent this year.
The host nation of this camp have a strong presence here, as well as a team from Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Poland.
This extensive camp has been going since Monday this week and will conclude on Tuesday 21st. There are many elements that go in to making a good camp, great. Here in Croatia the team are experienced and have orchestrated not only many events but also camps that are typically a part of the judo festival. The Plava Laguna resort is the ideal location for such training, with ample opportunity and of course, the vacation destination for recovery.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen