Seventh day of the Judo World Cups. The heavyweights took to the tatami in Budapest and Japan took control again when Kokoro Kageura it was proclaimed the first Japanese world champion in the +100 category since 2003. An unprecedented drought for a nation that values this award above all others.
The first man to defeat the great Teddy Riner in a decade he was unstoppable on his way to the final.
There he would face Tamerlan Bashaev, of the Russian Judo Federation. Bashaev, an explosive judoka who continued with his great form of recent months, managed to reach the World Cup final in Budapest after getting rid of the young Georgian judoka Gela Zaalishvili.
However, Kageura scored waza ari, which was critical and would eventually return the heavyweight title to Japan.
Siteny Randrianasoloniaiko, vice president of the International Judo Federation and president of the African Judo Union presented him with the medal.
Wakaba Tomita it was the first of the two Japanese women who would end up reaching the women’s heavyweight final. After some fights in which he defeated his opponents with a classic judo, he would face for the gold to Sarah Asahina, 2018 world champion.
Asahina was back in shape, scoring with some spectacular keys and showing the world that she still has what it takes to win the gold.
The final itself was a stalemate as they both blocked each other. In the end it was Asahina who ended up winning when Tomita received a third penalty. The highlight was the moving scene of sportsmanship when Asahina helped her teammate off the mat.
Jean Pierre RaffarinFormer Prime Minister of France hung Asahina the gold medal.
Yakiv Khammo from Ukraine scored an incredible ippon to win the bronze medal.
A great finishing touch to individual competition that will give way to the excitement and drama of team competition.
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