Beijing Olympic Games 2008

Satoshi Ishii sent Japan out on a winning note in the Olympic judo competition when he won the men’s over-100-kilogram gold medal Friday at the Beijing Games.

Ishii, in his first major global tournament, defeated Asian champion Abdullo Tangriev of Uzbekistan in the final on the last day of judo at the Beijing University of Science and Technology Gymnasium.

With the victory, the 21-year-old Ishii gave Japan its fourth judo gold medal and sixth overall of the Beijing Olympics.

In the women’s competition, Maki Tsukada came up short in her bid to defend her Olympic title, settling for the silver medal in the over-78-kilogram class after losing to Chinese rival Tong Wen in a repeat of the title match at last year’s world championships.

Tsukada was leading with 16 seconds left when Tong flipped her over for an ippon victory.

from: yomiuri.co.jp

Ueno Masae of Japan needed just six seconds to beat Cuba’s Anaysi Hernandez with an ippon to claim her second consecutive Olympic gold in Judo Women’s -70kg.

Ronda Rousey of the United States defeated Athens’s bronze medalist Annett Boehm of Germany with a yuko to take the first of two bronze medals, while Edith Bosch of the Netherlands beat Leire Iglesias of Spain with an ippon to take the second. Bosch was the silver medalist at the Athens Olympic Games.
from: beijing2008.cn

Irakli Tsirekidze of Georgia, gold medalist of the 2007 World Championships, won gold in his Olympic debut, winning Judo Men’s -90kg by beating Amar Benikhlef of Algeria with a shido.

In his second Olympic Games, Hesham Mesbah of Egypt defeated Yves-Matthieu Dafreville of France with an ippon to take the first bronze in Judo Men -90kg. Sergei Aschwanden of Switzerland overcame Ivan Pershin of Russia with an ippon to win the second bronze medal. Aschwanden was also competing in the Olympics for the second time.

from: beijing2008.cn

Germany’s Ole Bischof, the 2005 European championships threw Kim Jae-bum from the Republic of Korea for a yuko to claim gold in Judo Men’s -81kg. He also finished fifth at the 2006 and 2007 European Championships.

Tiago Camilo of Brazil defeated Guillaume Elmont of the Netherlands with an ippon to win the first of two bronze medals in the event. Camilo was the silver medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games and the gold medalist at the 2007 World Championships. Roman Gontiuk of Ukraine defeated Nyamkhuu Damdinsuren of Mongolia with a waza-ari to win the second bronze medal. Gontiuk was the silver medalist at the Athens Olympic Games.

from: beijing2008.cn

Japan’s Tanimoto Ayumi, the defending Olympic champion in Judo Women’s -63kg, needed just 1:26 to beat Lucie Decosse of France with an ippon. She was the bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships, but has competed in only 33 matches in international competitions since 2004.

Elisabeth Willeboordse of the Netherlands defeated Driulis Gonzalez of Cuba with a koka to win the first of two bronze medals in the event. Won Ok-im of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea beat Claudia Heill of Austria with a waza-ari and yuko to claim the second bronze medal.

from: beijing2008.cn

Italy’s Giulia Quintavalle won the women’s 57-kilogram judo gold at the Beijing Games on Monday, defeating Deborah Gravenstijn of the Netherlands.

Quintavalle took the early lead in the cautious final, then expanded on it with a throw with just under 2 minutes remaining. Gravenstijn, ranked 8th in the world, could not find an opening, and was held scoreless until the five-minute match ended.

Winning the bronzes were Brazil’s Ketleyn Quadros, who defeated Australia’s Maria Pekli in overtime, and China’s Xu Yan, who upset world No. 2-ranked Barbara Harel of France.

from: ap.google.com

Chinese mama judoka Xian Dongmei on Sunday won women’s 52kg class to become the first Chinese Olympic gold medalist who successfully defended the champion, followed by Masato Uchishiba’s first gold for Japan in men’s 66kg.

With the second gold medal in women’s light-weight class, Xian, 33, has become the first Chinese Olympian who retains a title and also the first female champion who has given birth to a child.

Xian stunned Kum Ae An from DPR Korea by yuko in the final.

After a bye in her first bout, Xian performmed three ippon matches in straight in which she firstly beat Spanish Ana Carrascosa with just 1 minute and 19 seconds.

Meeting world champion silver medalist Telma Monteiro of Portugal in the next, Xian conceded an early yuko but rallied to tie waves of attacks. Leading another koka advantage with 45 seconds left in the five-minute bout, she shoulder threw the Portuguese to the mat with a decision of waza-ari by the referee who soon rectified to gesture an ippon victory.

“One of the reason for my return is that the Olympic Games will be held in my own country for the first time, that really motivated me,” said Xian who has taken on her judogi once again since May 2007 when summoned by the national team.

Xian, who had received two-year training for Chinese wrestling before she turned to judo at 15, told that she had used a special technique learned from wrestling to defeat her opponents in the competition, saying that the most thing she want to do after the match is to have a good rest.

Soraya Haddad from Algeria oustered Sholpan Kaliyeva from Kazakhstan with a waza-ari to grab a bronze medal.

Japan’s 19-year-old Nakamura, suffered a koka loss to Kum Ae An at semifinal, made a struggling way to the final after a gold-score game and later ipponed South Korean Kyung Ok Kim for another bronze medal of the star-studded Japanese judo squad.

Defending champion Masato Uchishiba won the title of the men’s 66kg class, giving the first long-waited gold to the Japanese judo squad on the second day of judo competition.

Uchishiba, 30, scored an ippon by a shoulder throw within 68 seconds in the final on Benjamin Darbelet of France.

The Japanese judoka who won the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 66kg-class in Athens said it had been a long time for him to win a new international title after the second place in the 2005 world championships and fifth of the Asian competition in 2008.

Benjamin Darbelet, however, said he felt tired and slow-moving in the preliminary bouts and felt the best condition in the final during which he hurt his neck.

“I am always confident of Japanese judo and my success today will send a message to the world that Japan is still strong in judo.” he said, adding that he had trained in France and studied his French rival in many aspects not only in judo.

Cuba’s Yordanis Arencibia defeated repechage winner Russia’s Alim Gadanov to receive a bronze medal after the Cuban was ousted by Uchishiba by two waza-ari (equals to ippon) in the semifinal.

Chol Min Pak from Democratic People’s Republic of Korea gained another bronze medal from Mirali Sharipov, Uzbekistan, after he lost to the French judoka Darbelet.

source: xinhuanet.com

Once upon a time it was customary for the host nation to be able to add a sport to the Olympic program.
So when the Games were in Tokyo in 1964, judo came on board. And it is easy to see why since the Japanese usually dominate the sport.
In the 14 weight classes (seven for men and seven for women) at the Athens Olympics, Japan placed a competitor in 10 gold medal matches. The Japanese won eight of the 10.
The participants in each weight class are divided into two direct-elimination pools and the winner of the two pools meet for the gold medal.
This is also a sport where it pays to cheer for the person who beat you in an early round. All those who lose to the eventual pool champion make up two second-chance pools and the winners of those each get a bronze medal.
Judo is one of only two sports in the Olympics, boxing being the other, where two bronze medals are awarded.

from: jappone.blogspot.com

A South Korean Judo champion in 2006 Asian Games will lead South Korean delegation in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics set for Aug. 8, the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) announced on Friday.

Jang Sung-ho, a 30-year-old judoist who won a gold in the 2006 Asian Games and a silver in the Athens Olympics in 2004, has been picked to bear the flag for South Korean squad in the opening ceremony, said a statement by the KOC.

The KOC said the 1996 Olympic marathon silver medallist, Lee Bong-joo, will captain the men’s portion of the Olympic squad, while handball player Oh Soeng-ok will lead the women.

South Korea will send more than 260 athletes to the Olympics.

from: xinhuanet.com

Brazilian men’s judo team did not have any difficulty in defeating Japanese rivals on Sunday at a challenge in Sao Paulo.
The Brazilians won five out of seven matches in their last home tournament before heading for Japan to start final preparations for August’s Beijing Olympics.
Sunday’s victory boosted the Brazilians’ confidence that they will be able to bring home an Olympic medal in Beijing.
However, two-time world champion Derly remained sober-minded.
“Although we pulled off a relatively easy win, the mistakes we made and the troubles we had proved that we are not quite in top shape for the Olympics,” said Derly.
“We all have to improve in order to perform well in Beijing. The time is now in order to make the little, but necessary improvements,” he added.

from: xinhuanet