Polling will play judo for Italy and may already do so at the Games in Paris

Polling will play judo for Italy and may already do so at the Games in Paris | Sports Other

3 apr 2024 om 15:05 Update: 8 min. geleden

Kim Polling hopes to play judo for Italy soon. The Dutch judo association (JBN) is cooperating with a change of nationality that should enable her to possibly compete for the country where she lives at the Paris Olympics.

“Kim Polling has been living and training in Italy for quite some time. She also has an Italian husband and her daughter is also growing up in the country. Recently, the opportunity unexpectedly arose to be included in the top sports selection of the Italian police and defense,” reports the JBN on Wednesday.

“With this selection she could be part of the Italian judo team (expected to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games), but the financial future of her family is also assured after her active top sports career.”

Polling had to compete with Sanne van Dijke in the Netherlands for the only Olympic ticket in the class up to 70 kilograms. Her rival walked away with the starting ticket for the 2021 Tokyo Games after a long row.

Van Dijke, who gave the Netherlands the only judo medal of the tournament with bronze in Tokyo, was also in a much better position in the battle for a ticket for the Games in Paris. Polling fell behind partly due to injuries.

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Polling: ‘It’s an abrupt end’

Polling writes on Instagram that she is surprised by the opportunity she has been given in Italy. “If I had been able to look into a crystal ball last New Year and see that I would be saying goodbye to the Dutch judo team three months later, I would have been surprised.”

“I am extremely grateful to the JBN for giving me this opportunity. So I am saying goodbye to the JBN and to TeamNL. It is an abrupt end, but from my side I could not have wished for a more beautiful and respectful farewell.”

Polling won bronze at the World Championships in 2013 under the flag of the Netherlands. She also became European champion four times: in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018. In 2016 she competed at the Rio de Janeiro Games. She didn’t win a medal there.