- Butkereit wins first German Judo medal
German Judoka Miriam Butkereit Celebrates Career Highlight with Silver Medal at Paris Olympics
Miriam Butkereit, a German judoka, has achieved the greatest success of her career by winning silver at the Olympic Games in Paris. The 30-year-old lost in the final of the under-70kg category to two-time world champion Barbara Matic of Croatia.
Butkereit secured the first medal for the German Judo Association after disappointing days at the French Games. She almost became the second German female judoka to win gold after Yvonne Snir-Bönisch's triumph in Athens in 2004, but favorite Matic was unbeatable.
Snir-Bönisch trains Butkereit's semi-final opponent
Butkereit started her Olympic debut with a bye. In her first match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, she defeated Australian Aoife Coughlan, followed by a victory over Belgian Gabriella Willems. In the semi-finals, she defeated favored Austrian Michaela Polleres, who won silver at the Tokyo Games and is trained by German ex-judoka Snir-Bönisch.
Butkereit traveled to the Games with plenty of confidence, having already won two Grand Slams this year - in Tashkent and Paris. In the Paris final, she defeated local favorite Marie Éve Gahié in February. "It was magical," she said.
It's no surprise that Butkereit returned to the French capital with a good feeling. "Anything is possible at the Olympics," she said. She wanted to avoid putting too much pressure on herself while still winning her matches. Her plan worked.
"Just a little bit" has often been missing
German sports chief Hartmut Paulat was also impressed by Butkereit's qualities. "She sets the pace at the world level," he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Often, she had just "a little bit" missing in her quest for World or European medals in recent years. This time, it was different.
The medal should give the German team a boost after rather gloomy days in Paris. "It's a super motivation," said Paulat, also looking ahead to the mixed team event on Saturday, where the German judokas aim to repeat their bronze medal from Tokyo. The pressure on world champion Anna-Maria Wagner, who will compete on Thursday, is also somewhat relieved, Paulat speculated.
Butkereit's impressive silver medal victory at the Olympics could inspire other German athletes to excel in other sports as well. Despite her success in individual events, she has often missed out on World or European medals by a small margin. This time, her determination and skill were enough to secure a coveted spot on the podium, proving that 'other sports' also require perseverance and dedication to reach such heights.
