Deborah Gravenstijn

Deborah Gravenstijn

Medal record
Women's Judo
Representing the  Netherlands
Olympic Games
	2008 Beijing	-57 kg
	2004 Athens	-57 kg
World Championships
	2001 Munich	57 kg
	2003 Osaka	57 kg

Dibora Monick Olga "Deborah" Gravenstijn (born 20 August 1974 in Tholen, Zeeland) is a Dutch judoka and Captain in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. She won a bronze medal in the class Women's 57 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal four years later at the same event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Gravenstijn started her judo career when she was five years old. Although she and her family lived in Rotterdam they always joined her to tournaments held anywhere within the Netherlands. As soon as Gravenstijn participated in international tournaments her family was unable to keep up with attending every tournament, however they did whatever they could to support Deborah.

Her first medal at a Dutch Junior Championship (under 18/21) she reached in 1987 when she became third in Assen. One month later she won her first title at the Dutch Cadet Championship (under 16/18) in Elburg. In the following years she was unable to retain the title, but still managed to win a bronze (in Haarlem, 1988) and a silver medal (in Heerlen, 1989). At international level she won her first tournament in Arlon in 1990, the Belgian Open. She won a bronze medal at the Dutch All Categories Championships in Nieuwegein in 1991 and she won the gold medal at the Under-19 championships in Geleen; She also retained her Belgian Open title in Arlon and won the silver medal at the Dutch Championships in Den Bosch. In 1992, her last year as a junior she became Dutch national champion again and she won a silver medal at the All Categories Championships. At international level she became third at the World Masters in Munich, won the silver medal at the World Junior Championships in Buenos Aires and won the European title at the European Championships in Jerusalem.

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