The judo team of the Universitat won the universities trophy thanks to one silver and two bronzes that got from one of the most highly anticipated university events by the judokas: the third edition of the European University Championship of judo disputed between the 7 and 11 October in Reims (France).

The expedition of the Universitat left to the French city of Reims with six judokas: Carlos Gil (66kg), Ángeles López (63kg), Daniel Pérez (66kg), Ana Pérez (52kg), Neus Pou (57kg) and Iokin Sagarzazu (-60kg), and the manager of the team, Vicente Rochela.

The Universitat got the podium for the silver medal from Anna Pérez’s hand, who got to the final of the European championship in the category of -52kg after disputing an almost perfect championship. The student of the Universitat beat the French Gabrielle Wuillot (1-0) in the quarter finals and Eloise Combeau (7-0) in semi-finals, a combat that gave her the pass to the final of the European. Between her and the gold was the Parisian Marie Orsini, who carried out a perfect confrontation and got to beat the Valencian by 10-0, which deprived her of completing a perfect competition, but with a silver medal more than deserved.
The Universitat also got the podium in women category in -63kg, thanks to the performance of Ángeles López. The judoka of the Universitat was eliminated before the French Clementine Louchez, but in the play-off she won all the combats, beating the Dutch Rosa Van Koningsbrugge in the last sixteen by 10-0, the Italian Giorgia Dalla in quarterfinals by 1-0, and the French Mary Coralle in the semi-final by 10-0. With these fantastic results, Ángeles classified in the third place and got the podium getting, this way, the second medal for the Universitat.

By its part, the man competition of -66kg did not have a good start for the athletes of the Universitat, Daniel Pérez and Carlos Gil, who were eliminated in their first combats before the Parisian Remi Accaire and the Israeli Ohad Idels, respectively. But in the play-off they got to beat their opponents and to pass to the next knockout round. Pérez won the combat before the Slovenian Luka Kuralt by 10-0, but Carlos Gil did not get to beat the French Romain Recrosio and ran out of medal options. By its part, Daniel Pérez continued to make its way to the podium, beating Ohad Idels by 10-0 and getting, this way, classifying as third. With this medal, the team of the Universitat added up the two bronzes and the silver in the championship.

Vicente Rochela, manager of the Universitat’s team was happy after the championship, “it has been a very positive experience. We knew that it was a difficult championship due to the level of participants and our expectations were to get one or two medals. We finally got three medals and a fifth place –Iokin Sagarzazu– that was on the verge of getting the medal. I am very happy with the participation of all the members of the team, they have competed really good and that can be seen in the results. This was the third edition of the championship and the team of the Universitat participated in all the editions, improving the classifications one after another. In the first one we got to a final, in Coimbra in 2013 we got three bronze medals, and this time, a silver and two bronzes that, besides, have proclaimed us champions by universities.”