01. 01. 2020
The magnificent "Beogradska Arena" in the capital of Serbia has been the venue for the senior European wrestling championships since yesterday (until Sunday). In both styles, Greco-Roman and freestyle, wrestlers (male and female) from 41 continental federations will compete. The Slovak team consists of 14 competitors, including the Košice freestyle duo Dan Pálinkás and Marián Hutňan.
KOŠICE. The management of the Košice 1904 Wrestling Club expected a larger representation of its wrestlers on the European mats, but this time the nomination criteria did not quite "fit" them.
"The national coach decided to compile the nomination from the Slovak champions who won titles last October, and we have to respect that," says the president of the Košice club, Ján Tokár.
"Of course, we expected a wider participation of our competitors at the European Championships, we were counting on at least Jakub Kačeňák in the 66-kg category, who surprisingly lost to Obžera at the domestic championships, so we have a slightly weaker representation in Belgrade."
However, this in no way diminishes the ambitions of the seeded pair Dan Pálinkás (in the 74 kg weight category) and Marián Hutňan (in the 120 kg).
"Both boys are well prepared for the championship, both physically and mentally, so from this point of view, there is no problem. However, it is a matter of current form and a little bit of luck with the draw, because the competition, especially from wrestlers from the countries of the former Soviet Union, is traditionally very strong at the European championships. Any placement in the top ten would be a great success for us. Dan Pálinkás, after last year's eighth place in Dortmund, has the prerequisites for it, and we would be very happy if he confirmed it in Belgrade, and I believe in an even better result in his case. Marián Hutňan in the 120-kg category is not without a chance for a good placement either, although it is a rather unpredictable category where a lot depends on the draw, and on each period... Marián, however, approached his training duties very responsibly, so I also assume that he could make it into the top ten. There is a real chance for that."
Sovereign juniors
Points for the Olympic qualification will not be awarded in Belgrade; other competitions under the FILA banner are designated for that.
"And there we expect a wider participation of our wrestlers. In addition to the aforementioned Jakub Kačeňák, for example, Dano Dancák should also be there. I believe that several of our competitors will get the chance to fight for the Olympics," Ján Tokár still doesn't stop thinking about London.
If it doesn't work out there, there is a link to another Olympic "link" - Rio de Janeiro 2016. The Košice youth are starting to "click" on those pages more and more often. The sovereignty with which they dominated the domestic junior championships in Bratislava surprised even the president of ZK Košice 1904.
"During my vacation, I threw out the idea that five titles would please me, although the coach and I were realistically thinking of four. In the end, it's five gold, and even seven if we add the two first places in the Greco-Roman style. We also regularly participate in tournaments in this style, although it is more of a diversification for our competitors, mainly because they can also sell some grappling variations from freestyle there."
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