Angelika Szymańska, a Polish judoka representing KS Judo Szczepańska Team Włocławek, secured second place in the highly competitive Grand Slam tournament in Tbilisi. Despite a strong performance throughout, Szymańska fell to Canada’s Catherine Beachemin-Pinard in the final of the women’s 63kg category, conceding victory by waza-ari. This event contributes to Olympic qualifications, and Szymańska’s high world ranking solidifies her spot in the upcoming Olympics.
In her journey to the final, Szymańska displayed remarkable skill, defeating opponents such as Agatha Schmidt of Germany, Melodie Turpin of France, and Jisu Kim of Korea with decisive ippons. Her semi-final bout against Laura Fazliu of Kosovo, also a bronze medalist in last year’s European Championships, ended in a spectacular ippon scored by Szymańska, securing her place in the final showdown.
Facing off against the world-ranking leader and Olympic bronze medalist, Catherine Beachemin-Pinard, Szymańska showcased her prowess but ultimately succumbed to Beachemin-Pinard’s waza-ari. Nevertheless, Szymańska’s second-place finish earns her 700 points, likely propelling her to sixth place in the rankings. With 531 judokas from 83 countries participating, including seven from Poland, this event in the Georgian capital marks a crucial stage in Olympic qualification for athletes worldwide.