Bottroper Judoka surprise with bronze medal at U18 championships!

Bottroper Judoka surprise with bronze medal at U18 championships!

A winter fairy tale that makes the hearts beat faster! The JC 66 Bottrop caused a sensation at the German team championships of the U18 in judo. As a successor to the tournament, the team struggled with impressive determination to the bronze medal and is now one of the best four teams in Germany in this age group. A truly spectacular climb!

The Bottroper Judoka had actually missed the qualification for the tournament after they failed at the West German team championships. But fate had different plans: When Judo Club Mönchengladbach released its place, the JC 66 Bottrop offered the unexpected chance to take part in the tournament. Coach Kai Strietzel spoke of a "luck" and the team took this opportunity to grow beyond themselves.

drama and triumph in Senftenberg

The competition started with a nerve-wracking duel against the Judo team Hannover/VfL Grasdorf. In an exciting fight, the decision was made only in an additional fight that the JC 66 won 4: 3. With new self-confidence, a clear 5: 1 victory against the Judo Club 03 Berlin followed. But the Poolsinale against PSV Grün-Weiß Kassel ended in a gripping thriller, where the Bottroper was just 3: 4. But instead of giving up, they showed what they were made of in the consolation round and secured the move into the next round with a 3: 3 against local rival TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

In the semi -finals of the consolation round, the Bottroper triumphed 4: 2 against the The Eilbeck from Hamburg and moved into the small final. The combat community JC Jena/PSV Eisenach was waiting there, which they defeated with another 4-2 win and secured the bronze medal. The success was the result of an impressive team performance, in which every single one, from Dominik Grinkin to Konstantin Distel, did his best. Even injured team members traveled to support their comrades, which further strengthened the team spirit.

"The bronze medal is a great success for us and shows that even retreats can afford great things," emphasized coach Strietzel. With this unexpected triumph, the JC 66 Bottrop has proven that passion and cohesion in sport are crucial and is now one of the top addresses in the German U18 judo!