Author: Wolfgang Eichler
Michaela Polleres (AUT/-70kg) secured gold on home soil at the Linz Grand Prix. The 28-year-old defeated junior world champion April Lynn Fohouo (SUI) in the final by ippon. The victory marks Polleres’ third Grand Prix title, following her wins in Tashkent and Cancun in 2018, and her seventh medal on the World Judo Tour. “The atmosphere in the hall was incredible, they were chanting my name, my family, my friends and many colleagues from the club were there. It is very special to win in front of your home crowd, especially after the long break and with me having a bad cold. I struggled in the first fight but then it got better and better. In the final, I was very well prepared and just made sure that she couldn’t use her special technique, o-soto-gari. That worked well. I was the stronger fighter, the victory was only a matter of time.” Michaela Polleres beamed after her final victory.
On her way to the final, the two-time Olympic medallist defeated Anna Skalska (CZE), Barbara Timo (POR), Kelly Petersen Pollard (GBR) and Samira Bock (GER). Only in the final did Polleres have to go into golden score. “It is impressive how well Michi fought today. It is only her third tournament after more than a year’s break from competition and she had a cold too. Only an exceptional athlete like Michi can do that. Congratulations,” praised Judo Austria head coach Yvonne Snir-Bönisch. “Her performance was incredibly confident, she really dominated and controlled Fohouo,” added Judo Austria Sports Director Markus Moser.
Still, Snir-Bönisch did not look entirely happy. “We cannot be satisfied with this performance,” says the 45-year-old. “Fourteen of the fifteen who competed on the second day of the competition were eliminated early. Almost all of them performed well below their potential,” admits Snir-Bönisch. Yet, Polleres’ home victory brings a smile to her face. The 2004 Olympic champion further noted:
“We knew that April Lynn Fohouo is not the junior world champion for nothing; despite being only 20 years old, she recently came second at the Grand Slam in Paris. She made the transition from the junior to the senior class amazingly quickly but Michi was in great shape and controlled her opponent at all times. The victory was only a matter of time. Congratulations to Michi. For us, this is the first home Grand Prix gold since Shamil Borchashvili in 2023. It was high time. Michi was in a class of her own today!”
Images: Judo Austria/Oliver Sellner
Author: EJU Media