Ana Carolina is making it a habit of winning gold at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
At just 24, she has already won three golds in four years (2013, 2014 and 2017) and added yet another to her collection in the brown/belt 70kg final at the Mubadala Arena.
Up against Jessica Swanson, the Brazilian showed her class with an impressive 9-0 win. She immediately set her sights on winning the World Championship in California in June.
“This was good preparation for me for that tournament,” said Carolina. “Although it was a 9-0 win, it wasn’t easy by any means. Every fight that I compete in is important and now I want to go and continue my good form in California.”
Meanwhile, Angelica Galvao weighs just 65kg, but the American showed it’s agility and skill that matters on the mat as she retired from jiu-jitsu in style with 90kg gold in brown-black division.
The 32-year-old was making her second appearance at the event, six years after winning gold in purple/brown way back in 2012.
Before making the long trip from the US, she already decided that the UAE competition would be last event in her 14-year career and she bowed out on a high. Despite her opponent Poland’s Marta Szarecka being heavier, she won in convincing fashion 8-2.
Medals ceremony for the black belt winners at the #ADWPJJC18 https://t.co/VZ9Dwje7NQ
— UAEJJF (@uaejjf) April 28, 2018
“I really didn’t know what to expect,” said Galvao. “She was a lot heavier than me and I could only think about myself and executing the moves. I didn’t worry much about her skills and wanted to put my game first. For sure, this is one of my best accomplishments so far as this is my first gold in black in Gi.”
She added: “I’m 32 now so I knew my days in jiu-jitsu were coming to an end so I wanted it to give it a go. I just wanted to do something that I hadn’t done before and happy to have won gold.”
Meanwhile, there was a major upset when brown belt competitor Amal Amjahid overcame black belt’s Amanda Monteiro by submission in the 55kg final.
Belgium’s Amjahid was thrilled with her win and said self-belief was key to her success.
“It is always going to be hard against black belt fighters but I never lost hope,” she said. “I knew if I stuck to my game, I could win and that’s what I did.”
