Women's team wins bronze in the Champions League

The Benfica women's judo team won the bronze medal in the Champions League, held this Saturday, November 26, in Gori, Georgia.

Composed by Reka Pupp (-52 kg), Telma Monteiro (-57 kg), Bárbara Timo (-63 kg), Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown (-70 kg) and Rochele Nunes (+70 kg), the red team started against ESBM Judo, a French team defeated by 3-2. This was followed by VCJ Valencia, in the quarter finals, a rival that the eagles won by 4-1.

In the semifinal, against Champigny, Benfica was unable to prevail (losing 3-2) and was limited to fighting for the bronze medal.

Facing the Turkish women from Galatasaray, Barbara Timo lost the first fight, but the British Yeats-Brown beat Minel Akdeniz in the "golden score", by "waza-ari". In the next fight, Rochele Nunes put Benfica in front, after disqualifying her opponent by punishment.

The Hungarian Reka Pupp was defeated and the responsibility to fight for the medal fell to Telma Monteiro. Remarkably, against Ozlem Yildiz, the best Portuguese judoka of all time won in a disputed "golden score", which ended after 5m16s with a projection by the Benfica Olympic athlete.

Great party in the pavilion and the coveted medal guaranteed, Benfica's first in the competition!