BABINTSEVA Aleksandra

General
CATEGORY CHANGE
Having previously competed in the +78kg [heavyweight] category, she switched to -78kg in late 2015. "The transition was due to the fact that, for a heavyweight, I was not tall, and did not have the necessary weight or the long arms. Athletes from Europe and Asia in the category have, let's say, rather big builds. I weighed about 90 kilograms and for the transition dropped about 10. Together with the coaches, we came to an agreement that we needed to change category. Although for me it was scary, because judo in these weight categories is completely different. In a class up to -78kg, it is high-speed and full of throwing, and at first I was even afraid, because I could not keep up with my rivals. It took me about a year to find my own fighting style." (rsport.ria.ru, 27 Sep 2018)