With just four months of training, the young judoka Belén Flores, from the Mercedarios de Atacama club, has achieved an unprecedented feat by obtaining the silver medal in the under 18 Novice category in the National North Tournament of the Judo Federation of Chile. The event took place at the Casa del Deportista gym in Iquique, organized by the Dragon club.
Flores, a first-year student at the Mercedes Fritis Mackenney high school in Copiapó, surprised the public from the beginning of the tournament. In her first fight, she won in just three seconds, showing the conviction and determination of a champion. Although she lost to a more experienced opponent in the final, her performance was notable, leaving a solid impression in her debut at one of the most important national events of the year.
Flores’ coach, Juan Pablo Rojas Cailly, 2nd Dan black belt and representative of the Judo Federation in Atacama, highlighted the exceptional nature of this achievement. «It is very rare for a judoka to get on the podium in his first national experience. Belén not only achieved it, but she fought as equals for the gold medal,” said Rojas. In addition, he assured that Flores has a promising future in judo, stressing that “her projection and desire to improve will take her very far.”
