Claudia Morales Imbernón, from Torrevieja’s Nozomi Judo Club, took bronze and qualified for the Spanish Senior Championship at the Eastern Sector qualifying event in Castellón de la Plana on 31 October.
Competing in the under-57 kg category, she secured her national place by beating Aina Salas Piza, from the Balearic Islands, by ippon in the tie-break bout.
Her qualification means Nozomi will have two representatives at the championship in Lugo on 28 November: Morales and Iker Spooner Sánchez, who had already qualified through Spain’s Super Cup ranking.
A decisive tie-break after bronze
The podium did not end Morales’s competition, as she still had to contest that final bout to secure her place at the national stage.
The Eastern Sector event brought together athletes who had qualified through regional championships in the Valencian Community, Murcia, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia.
First appearance at senior level
Lugo will be Claudia Morales’s 11th appearance at a Spanish Judo Championship and her first at senior level, during her final season as a junior.
The club has congratulated her on the result and encouraged her to keep working towards qualification for the Spanish Junior Championship as well.
Nozomi thanked Torrevieja Council, through its Sports Department, and Alicante Provincial Council for the assistance, grants and subsidies provided to its athletes and the club.
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