What The Prize-Winners Of The Second Day Of The European SAMBO Championships In Athens Were Talking About

General sponsor of the tournament is Rosneft oil company.

Borislav YANAKOV (Bulgaria), silver medal in the under 57 kg weight category among men:

- It was a dramatic fight, with the equal score of 4:4, nevertheless for me it turned into a defeat. Maybe I just wasn’t lucky enough. I will train harder and probably next time I`ll have better luck.

Charly SCHMITT (France), silver medal in the under 82 kg weight category in combat SAMBO:

- I lost in the finals to a Ukrainian athlete, for he was better prepared in sport SAMBO. During the fights I prefer using striking techniques and remaining in standing position, yet, unfortunately, this time it was not enough to win. I will work harder as I want to make a good showing at the World Championships in Bucharest.

Sacha Yvonne GORISSEN (Netherlands), bronze medal in the under 80 kg weight category among women:

- I am deeply satisfied and even happy. This is my first year in SAMBO, and this is my first medal earned at adult tournaments. As a child, I engaged in judo and Brazilian jujutsu. Now, I’ve turned to SAMBO, because, in my opinion, SAMBO combines both of these sports.

I am very happy for myself and for my country. I think that my European Championships medal will facilitate the promotion of SAMBO in the Netherlands.

Georgios MARKARIAN (Greece), bronze medal in the under 74 kg weight category among men:

- I think that the bronze at these Championships is a good start, since I'm one of the youngest athletes here, I'm 19. Honestly, I had thought that the lack of experience at the adult competitions would be an obstacle, but, fortunately, I was wrong. I know almost everyone here, as I’ve fought against them previously while in the youth team, so my age was not a hindrance, and perhaps, it was even an advantage. Now I’m going to start my preparations for the World Championships, and I already know who I will face there.

And especially I want to thank my coach Vladimir Georgievich Borodin for everything he has done for me. Without him I would not have won a medal.

Maximilien VALLOT (Франция), бронзовая медаль в весовой категории до 62 кг по боевому самбо:

- Today I won a bronze medal, though I had expected more. By the draw, I was matched against a Russian athlete, he was very well prepared and eventually he prevented me from reaching the finals. Nevertheless, I'm third, which is good enough.

Before going in for SAMBO I`ve been practicing judo since childhood. SAMBO appeals to me, as there’s more variety in it, especially in combat SAMBO. I prefer mixed techniques - both strikes and wrestling, and therefore SAMBO is perfect for me. Yes, SAMBO is definitely my sport. And I would like to keep on practicing it.