Engaged at the Senior European Para Judo Championships in Heidelberg, Caecilia Riedl ultimately did not compete in the J2 -52 kg category. Still experiencing elbow pain, the Luxembourg judoka and her coach, Wolfgang Amoussou-Guenou, decided not to take any risks in order to protect the rest of her season.

Despite not stepping onto the tatami, this first Senior European Championship was an important experience for Caecilia. She was able to discover all the stages of a major championship and prepare to face Turkey’s Zeynep Bozdemir, ranked 8th in the world and seeded 4th, who would eventually go on to win the European title.

Currently ranked 18th in the world, the Judo Club Stroossen athlete will now focus on her recovery, with the aim of returning to competition in the best possible conditions.

“This experience allowed me to realise that the European Championships are ultimately a competition like any other. They are the same opponents. The difference is that there is more at stake,” says Caecilia Riedl.

A first taste of the highest level of European competition that will undoubtedly serve her well in future international events. The season has only just begun!