The 2018 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Judo World Championships will get underway in Odivelas, Portugal, from 16-18 November.

It is the biggest competition on the calendar and also an opportunity to grab qualification points for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

All competitions will be shown live at IBSA’s YouTube channel and IBSA Judo’s Facebook page.

IBSA Judo is giving fans an insight into some of the athletes competing by describing at least one for each letter of the alphabet in an A-Z series.

P

Sweden’s Nicolina Pernheim has a solid collection of major Championships medals. The 27-year-old won three consecutive European titles between 2009-2013 in the women’s up to 63kg and in 2017 made it onto the podium once again with bronze. Pernheim also occupied third place at the most recent World Cup in Atyrau, Kazakhstan.

Q

China’s Qian Zhou has landed on the podium twice at IBSA Judo World Championships and Paralympic Games in her career. Competing in the women’s up to 70kg, Zhou claimed bronze at the London 2012 Paralympics. Two years later she won silver at the Worlds in Colorado, USA.

R

Mexico’s Lenia Ruvalcaba first burst onto the international scene at the 2007 Parapan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, winning gold in the women’s up to 70kg. Since then Ruvalcaba has become one of the world’s best judoka. A year after the Parapans she won silver on her Paralympic debut and in 2016 finally reached the top of the podium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Despite all her successes, the Mexican has never won a world title with her best finish coming in 2010 with second. Ruvalcaba will be hoping to change that in Odivelas.

Credit: Rafal Burza

S

Cuba have been a growing force in judo and Yordani Fernandez Sastre is no exception. The 29-year-old will return to the men’s heavyweights in Odivelas having secured a bronze medal at Rio 2016. Sastre is also the Parapan American Games champion and bronze medallist from the 2014 Worlds in the up to 100kg.

The 2018 IBSA Judo World Championships will feature nearly 300 of the world’s best judoka from more than 40 countries.

As well as the livestream, live coverage will be available at IBSA Judo’s Twitter and Instagram.

Media accreditation is available by contacting [email protected].