Christella Garcia Wins Fifth Straight IBSA Grand Prix Medal with Paralympic Qualification Around the Corner

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Rio Paralympic bronze medalist Christella Garcia (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo) continued her winning streak in Heidelberg, Germany on Sunday, winning bronze and earning her fifth straight podium on the IBSA Grand Prix circuit.

2024 IBSA Heidelberg Grand Prix Results

Garcia came into the event third in the IBSA Paralympic Rankings in her J1 +70 kg division and bested the No. 2 ranked athlete in the standings as she aims to qualify for her third Paralympic Team.

The 2023 IBSA World Games bronze medalist dropped her opening match when she was thrown by Feruza Ergasheva (UZB) for a waza-ari (half point) score in the opening round, but rebounded with two more wins to take bronze.

In the repechage, Garcia pinned Yan Meng (CHN) for ippon in the repechage and went on to throw 2023 IBSA Tokyo Grand Prix Champion Danitza Yoccelin Sanabria Alcala (VEN) for a waza-ari and pinning the Venezuelan for ippon. The win avenged Garcia’s loss to Alcala at the 2023 Parapan American Games where Alcala went on to win gold.

Just two tournaments remain in Paralympic qualification:

• April 1-2: IBSA Antalya Grand Prix
• May 18-19: IBSA Tbilisi Grand Prix

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Men’s J1 60 kg
1. Seyed Meysam Banitaba Khorram Abadi (IRI)
2. Elielton De Oliveira (BRA)
3. Henry Borges (URU)
3. Shiwen Zhu (CHN)
5. Kapil Parmar (IND)
5. Miguel Vieira (POR)
7. Abdelkader Bouamer (ALG)
7. Darren Harris (GBR)

Also Competed: Ron Hawthorne (Kansas City, KS), 0-1

Women’s J1 48 kg
1. Nataliya Nikolaychyk (UKR)
2. Ecem Tasin Cavdar (TUR)
3. Shizuka Hangai (JPN)
3. Rocio Silvana D Ledesma Dure (ARG)
5. Novia Larassati (INA)
5. Anna Tabea Muller (GER)
7. Fotima Toirova (UZB)
7. Ferdauza Ulanbekovna Ubarikova (KGZ)

Men’s J1 73 kg
1. Lennart Sass (GER)
2. Florin Alexandru Bologa (ROU)
3. Djibrilo Iafa (POR)
3. Yergali Shamey (KAZ)
5. Chuluunsukh Galbadrakh (MGL)
5. Eduardo Gauto (ARG)
7. Yuji Kato (JPN)
7. Harlley Damiao Pereira Arruda (BRA)

Women’s J1 57 kg
1. Uljon Amrieva (UZB)
2. Yijie Shi (CHN)
3. Priscilla Gagne (CAN)
3. Paula Karina Gomez (ARG)
5. Anzhela Havrysiuk (UKR)
5. Larissa Silva (BRA)
7. Khosiyatkhon Poziljonova (UZB)
7. Alfiya Tlekkabyl (KAZ)

Men’s J1 90 kg
1. Arthur Cavalcante Da Silva (BRA)
2. Cyril D Jonard (FRA)
3. Oleg Cretul (MDA)
3. Daniel Powell (GBR)
5. Bauyrzhan Arstanbekov (KAZ)
5. Oscar Widegren (SWE)
7. Battugs Batkhuyag (MGL)
7. Yasin Cimciler (TUR)

Women’s J1 70 kg
1. Li Liu (CHN)
2. Brenda Souza De Freitas (BRA)
3. Turuunaa Lkhaijav (MGL)
3. Theodora Paschalidou (GRE)
5. Minako Tsuchiya (JPN)
5. Merve Uslu Hajabipour (TUR)
7. Esmer Taskin (TUR)
7. Bibisora Usmanova (UZB)

Men’s J1 +90 kg
1. Wilians De Araujo (BRA)
2. Ion Basoc (MDA)
3. Daniel Knegt (NED)
3. Ilham Zakiyev (AZE)
5. Ganbat Dashtseren (MGL)
5. Jilong Qi (CHN)
7. Theoklitos Papachristos (GRE)
7. Yerlan Utepov (KAZ)

Women’s J1 +70 kg
1. Anastasiia Harnyk (UKR)
2. Nazan Akin Gunes (TUR)
3. Christella Josette Garcia (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo)
3. Roma Siska (INA)
5. Feruza Ergasheva (UZB)
5. Danitza Yoccelin Sanabria Alcala (VEN)
7. Yan Meng (CHN)
7. Lina Stroetzel (GER)

Women’s J2 48 kg
1. Akmaral Nauatbek (KAZ)
2. Liqing Li (CHN)
3. Cahide Eke (TUR)
3. Kokila (IND)
5. Carmen Brussig (SUI)
5. Yi Liu (CHN)
7. Isabell Thal (GER)

Women’s J2 57 kg
1. Jianan Wang (CHN)
2. Junko Hirose (JPN)
3. Marta Arce Payno (ESP)
3. Kumushkhon Khodjaeva (UZB)
5. Lucia Araujo (BRA)
5. Hiroko Kudo (JPN)
7. Ramona Brussig (GER)
7. Maria Nubea Dos Santos Lins (BRA)

Women’s J2 70 kg
1. Yue Wang (CHN)
2. Alana Maldonado (BRA)
3. Ayala Mereke (KAZ)
3. Kazusa Ogawa (JPN)
5. Monika Azelionyte (LTU)
5. Pornnapa Thongsri (THA)

Women’s J2 +70 kg
1. Zarina Raifova (KAZ)
2. Sheyla Samarian Hernandez Estupinan (CUB)
3. Mokhinur Parmonova (UZB)
3. Rebeca Silva (BRA)
5. Aidana Gazizkyzy (KAZ)
5. Kirsten Taylor (GBR)
7. Meg Emmerich (BRA)
7. Prescillia Leze (FRA)

Also Competed: Katie Davis (Sacramento, CA / Team Sacramento Judo), 0-2
Clara Allardyce (Independence, KY / Team Sacramento Judo), 0-2

Men’s J2 60 kg
1. Davyd Khorava (UKR)
2. Vugar Shirinli (AZE)
3. Luis Daniel Gavilan Lorenzo (ESP)
3. Sherzod Namozov (UZB)
5. Min Jae Lee (KOR)
5. Ishak Ouldkouider (ALG)
7. Justin Karn (CAN)
7. Xu Zhao (CHN)

Men’s J2 73 kg
1. Yujiro Seto (JPN)
2. Feruz Sayidov (UZB)
3. Osvaldas Bareikis (LTU)
3. Uchkun Kuranbaev (UZB)
5. Donghoon Kim (KOR)
5. Rufat Mahomedov (UKR)
7. Nikolai Kornhass (GER)
7. Miles Soloman (GBR)

Men’s J2 90 kg
1. Davurkhon Karomatov (UZB)
2. Lasha Kizilashvili (GEO)
3. Helios Latchoumanaya (FRA)
3. Oleksandr Nazarenko (UKR)
5. Marcelo Casanova (BRA)
5. Evan Molloy (GBR)
7. Daniel Rafael Goral (GER)
7. Galymzhan Smagululy (KAZ)

Also Competed: Ben Goodrich (St. Paul, MN), 0-2

Men’s J2 +90 kg
1. Vahid Nouri (IRI)
2. Ibrahim Bolukbasi (TUR)
3. Jack D G Hodgson (GBR)
3. Zhurkamyrza Shukurbekov (KAZ)
5. Sergio Junior (BRA)
5. Yerlan Konkiyev (KAZ)
7. Berenger Ligot (FRA)
7. Nacer Zorgani (FRA)