European Judo: Wonderful silver medal for Alessia Corrao
In the U23 category, the Belgian judoka reached the final of the European Championships.
After being crowned Belgian champion at the beginning of November, Alessia Corrao ended the year in style on the tatami in Warsaw, Poland, at the European Senior Championships in the U23 category.
The Liege native was quick off the mark against Dutch competitor Nalbat, whom she had already faced four times with a record of three wins and one defeat, and then against Croatian Simic to reach the semi-finals.
Facing Poland's Glubiak, Alessia Corrao needed just a minute and a half to floor her opponent and qualify for her first international final.
In the final, the Belgian judoka came up against the Spaniard Fernandez, whom she had met on four previous occasions with an even record of wins between them. Although the fight was intense and undecided, the Spaniard seemed to be having the time of her life and ended up winning.
This brilliant silver medal means Alessia Corrao has now made it into the world's top 50.