Arleta Podolak wins first World Cup for Poland

For the first time since 14 years Poland welcomed a home winner of its own European Open in Warsaw. Arleta Podolak won the category U57kg. Barbara Wojcicka was the last female Polish winner in 2002. In the past Poland had a few good women in this light middleweight category. Maria Gontowicz-Szalas, Aneta Przybysz, Beáta Kucharzewska and Marzena Wegrzyn were the previous winners in the ninetees, but Podolak is the first of the century winning this weight class.

In the final Podolak defeated Sappho Coban. Both Coban as Podolak became World Junior Champion in 2013, Podolak U57kg, Coban U52kg. Podolak never won an Olympic Qualification tournament in her career, while Coban won two times silver, now three times. Podolak is the number one choice for Poland and with another 100 points the number 37 of the World now comes close to the top 20 of the clean Olympic Ranking, not yet enough for qualification. Coban has competition from Viola Waechter and Miryam Roper in her weight class.

There was also a bronze medal for the host nation as Anna Borowska took a medal after all after her loss in the semi final against Podolak.

The gold medal U48kg was for Noa Minsker of Israel. She is in a good shape and took her second medal of the season after her final victory against Melanie Clement of France.

Small Mongolian Tsolmon Adiyasambuu (MGL) captured gold U52kg against Oleksandra Starkova (UKR). Baldorj Mungunchimeg won gold U63kg which gave Mongolia the lead in the medal table. Baldorj defeated Spanish Isabel Puche in the final.