JUDO: With Rio 2016 just under three months away Australia’s leading judokas are in Baku, Azerbaijan this weekend chasing valuable ranking points as they look to secure automatic qualification for Rio.

Male athletes need to finish in the top 22 and women in the top 14 when the Olympic adjusted rankings are finalised on May 31 to ensure a spot at the Rio 2016 competition.

Brothers Joshua and Nathan Katz, Eoin Coughlan, Jake Bensted and Katharina Haecker are currently inside the quota cut-off and will be looking to solidify their positions.

Duke Didier and Chloe Rayner will need some positive results in Baku, and again next week in Almaty, to make the needed improvements in their rankings while Sebastian Temesi, Diego Barreto and Nicolas Berard will all go in search of podium performances to give themselves a shot at Olympic selection.

“Both Baku and Almaty are going to be very, very big tournaments,” said Didier.

“It’s going to be good to try and get a result there and hope my nearest rivals don’t.”

U73 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jake Bensted currently sits in the top 22 and will hope to use the tournament to build form heading into Rio.

“I’m hoping to get a bit more experience and a bit more mat time in Baku.

“It would be great to get the chance to go to the Olympic Games. I’ve been working towards this for the past four years so to get there and hopefully do well would be awesome.”

For those athletes that do not make the top 22 or 14 cut off there is one quota spot afforded to the highest ranked Oceania athlete that looks likely to go to an Australian.

Fellow Aussie Miranda Giambelli also sits in the women’s top 14 but is not competing in Baku or Almaty.

Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au