Day Four of Judo's Engaging Action

The Rio 2016 Olympic Games judo competition reached the halfway stage on Tuesday afternoon as the men’s -81kg and the women’s -63kg categories were engaged in action.

Two new Olympic champions were guaranteed as London -81kg champion KIM Jae-Bum (KOR) retired earlier this year while London -63kg champion Urksa ZOLNIR (SLO) retired in 2012 and is here in Rio de Janeiro as part of Slovenia’s coaching team.

The current world champions in the -63kg and -81kg categories, who understandably started the day as the red hot favourites, experienced a mixed day as NAGASE Takanori (JPN) lost in the quarter-finals while Tina TRSTENJAK (SLO) has safely reached the semi-finals.

Italy started day four as the leaders of the medal table with one gold and one silver ahead of Japan who started the day with one gold and five bronze medals as 14 nations had already won medals in the first three days of competition including gold medals for six different countries.

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WOMEN

-63kg Highlights

Slovenia’s first world judo champion Tina TRSTENJAK (SLO) is still hoping to be her country’s second Olympic judo champion having reached the -63kg semi-finals where she will face the surprise contender Mariana SILVA (BRA). Number one seed TRSTENJAK narrowly defeated Edwige GWEND (ITA) in her opening contest 0:2 on shidos having had a first round bye. The Slovenian then derailed the ambitions of YANG Junxia (CHN) by ippon to move into the last four.

Pan American Championships winner SILVA started with a confident display against Szandra SZOGEDI (GHA) who was dismissed by ippon in 59 seconds before subduing Tokyo Grand Slam winner Martyna TRAJDOS (GER) on shido penalties 1:3. SILVA scored one of the finest upsets of the competition so far when she beat former world champion Yarden GERBI (ISR) in their quarter-final. The Brazilian defeated GERBI by a yuko after two minutes of golden score to send the home crowd wild.

Former world champion Clarrise AGBEGNENOU (FRA) is aiming to end France’s medal drought and is well on course to achieving that as she will face world bronze medallist TASHIRO Miku (JPN) in the second semi-final. The French fighter forced her way past Busra KATIPOGLU (TUR) by ippon in exactly 100 seconds before besting World Judo Masters bronze medallist Anicka VAN EMDEN (NED) by the maximum score from a huge ura-nage.

TASHIRO made a confident start as she registered a score in all three columns as a yuko, waza-ari and then ippon saw her past Katharina HAECKER (AUS) having skipped the opening round as one of the top seeds. The Japanese fighter then defeated Kathrin UNTERWURZACHER (AUT) by a yuko as TASHIRO bids to become her team’s first female judo gold medallist at Rio 2016.

Semi-Finals

TASHIRO, Miku (JPN) vs AGBEGNENOU, Clarisse (FRA)

SILVA, Mariana (BRA) vs TRSTENJAK, Tina (SLO)

Repechage

YANG, Junxia (CHN) vs GERBI, Yarden (ISR)

VAN EMDEN, Anicka (NED) vs UNTERWURZACHER, Kathrin (AUT)

MEN

-81kg Highlights

Former world champion Avtandili TCHRIKISHVILI (GEO) record three wins in the morning session to take his place in the -81kg semi-final where he will face World Judo Masters winner Travis STEVENS (USA). After a first round bye TCHRIKISHVILI beat Ivan Felipe SILVA MORALES (CUB) by a yuko before defeating Juan Diego TURCIOS (ESA) on shido penalties 0:2. The Georgian ended the run of Almaty Grand Prix silver medallist Matteo MARCONCINI (ITA) by a waza-ari and is on track for a place on the Olympic medal podium.

STEVENS opened his campaign with a victory over Robin PACEK (SWE) by a yuko score before negotiating a tricky assignment against Shakhzodbek SABIROV (UZB) who was pinned down for 20 seconds. The American judoka then defeated Ivaylo IVANOV (BUL) by ippon as he held down the Bulgarian with a yoko-shiho-gatame.

The second semi-final will see former world bronze medallist Sergiu TOMA (UAE) up against European champion Khasan KHALMURZAEV (RUS). TOMA incredibly defeated world champion NAGASE Takanori (JPN) in one of the shocks of the day so far as the Japanese fell to a yuko score in their quarter-final. TOMA had already beaten Sven MARESCH (GER) who was penalised four times and was disqualified in addition to Brazilian hope Victor PENALBER (BRA) by ippon.

Little-known Juan Diego Turcios (ESA) – who qualified via the continental quota system – had an Olympic moement remember as he shocked Roman MOUSTOPOULOS (GRE) with a modified yoko-wakare for ippon in his first contest before falling to TCHRIKISHVILI (GEO).

Semi-Finals

KHALMURZAEV, Khasan (RUS) vs TOMA, Sergiu (UAE)

TCHRIKISHVILI, Avtandili (GEO) vs STEVENS, Travis (USA)

Repechage

MARCONCINI, Matteo (ITA) vs IVANOV, Ivaylo (BUL)

NAGASE, Takanori (JPN) vs VALOIS-FORTIER, Antoine (CAN)

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