An incredible achievement for the 20-year-old judoist from Split!
Croatia’s 20-year-old judo star Karla Prodan has achieved an excellent result after winning the silver medal in the 78kg category at the Junior World Championships held in Nassau, Bahamas, reports Gol.hr on October 20, 2018.
“I am happy about the medal, but I am upset about the final. I also had a rib injury, which was an extra challenge for me. I have done my best, I am completely exhausted and I cannot wait to get home and rest,” said the 20-year-old Split native, who won the title of the Cadet World Champion three years ago.
On the road to the silver medal, Prodan claimed a victory over Taiwanese judoist, Chen. Though her opening was unsettling, Prodan advanced to the next round to fight British judoist Ludford, and ultimately advanced to the semifinals easier than expected, where she met German judoist Zenker.
A thrilling semi-final
It was a dramatic and turbulent semi-final where Prodan was without the support of coach Vladimir Preradović who the judge ruled out of the fight.
“The semifinal was a very tough fight against a great judoist. I listened to the team’s tips from the stands and came to the decisive waza-ari,” recalled Prodan upon entering the final.
Following the final, Prodan will rest and prepare for the 2020 Olympics
In the final fight against Japanese judoist Wade, Prodan did not have the advantage, nor did she win. An impeccable Wade used her opportunities in the final phases of the fight to claim the gold medal.
“Wade was more persistent, Karla had a bit of a hole in her fight, and she was exhausted from a very hard semi-final. The World silver is in her pocket. Now she will have a quality holiday and then race for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. If she continues like this, it’s not an impossible mission,” said coach Vladimir Preradović analyzing Prodan’s performance.
