At the – for judokas from all over the world - most important event of the year, Croatia had two representatives in the finals of the -70kg category: the reigning World Champion and number one in the rankings, 27-year-old Barbara Matić and 21-year-old Lara Cvjetko. Croatia had two representatives in the World Championships finals for the first time ever, and the final fight was over in just over a minute - Matić won by pulling out the lever on her opponent's arm.
In the -70 kg category (with as many as 44 competitors, it is also the most numerous category in female judokas’ competition at the World Championships), both of our competitors were free in the first round, and then they racked up four wins each.
Matić defeated Dutchwoman Hilde Jager, BiH representative Aleksandra Samardžić, Uzbekistan's Gulnoza Matnijazova and Japan's Shiho Tanaka in the top half of the draw, while Cvjetko beat France's Margaux Pinot, Italy's Martina Esposito, Dutchwoman Sanna van Dijka and Japan's Saki Niizoe.
The fact that winner of silver at the Tokyo Olympics, Austria's Michaela Polleres, winner of bronze at the Olympics, Dutchwoman Van Dijke and winner of gold at the World Championships 2019 Marie-Eve Gahie lost in the elimination fights speaks enough on how demanding the -70kg category is.
For 27-year-old Barbara Matić, this is the second world gold medal after winning last year in Budapest, and interestingly she has been Junior World Champion twice (in 2013 and 2014). She was third twice at the European Championships (in 2014 and 2017) and also the third - at the European Games in Minsk (in 2019).
This is the biggest success of Lara Cvjetko's career. Two years ago, she became European Champion in the younger seniors category (under 23). So far, she has won both silver medal at the 2021 Junior European Judo Championships and another silver medal at the World Championships Juniors in Olbia. Cvjetko was also the 2017 European Cadet Champion in Kaunas.
The Croatian Olympic Committee (NOC of Croatia) congratulates Olympian Barbara Matić on defending her World Champion title and Lara Cvjetko on winning silver medal at the World Cup!
