Idalys Ortiz finished today in one of the fifth places in the +78 kg division and Cuba went without individual medals at the World Judo Championship in Budapest, Hungary, which will host the mixed team competition as a closing.
Ortiz, first in the world ranking and classified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, could not in the bronze discussion against the Brazilian Maria Suelen Altheman (sixth on the list), who beat him for the first time in 18 fights since the initial one in 2010 .
Altheman scored ippon in the golden rule extension, until 6:29 minutes, after two penalties that led her to the point of being disqualified.
The Cuban, Olympic champion in London 2012 and world champion in Rio de Janeiro 2013 and Chelyabinsk 2014, was included in the semifinals by winning her three matches in the A key, all before four minutes: the Polish Paula Kulaga (51), the Russian Anzhela Gasparian (38) and French Julia Tolofua (22).
She lost by the pass to discuss the title against the Japanese Sarah Asahina (ninth), in an extended fight until 7:06 minutes, when the winner scored wazari, according to the official website. That setback sent her to the playoffs for bronze.
This was the Artemiseña’s fourth loss to Asahina, who now led in seven fights. The Asian, who will not be in the Olympic competition, later repeated the Baku 2018 gold medal against her compatriot Wakaba Tomita (46). The other third place went to the also South American Beatriz Souza (seventh).
Ortiz could not win his ninth medal in 11 appointments of this level, so he maintains two gold, silver and four bronze medals. It is still the Cuban judoka with the highest amount of metals. By the way, in Tokyo I could match Driulis González with four awards in Olympic matches.
Andy Granda (+100 kg) left the competition early, falling for hansoku make (disqualification) after receiving three shidos (warnings) against his continental archrival, Brazilian Rafael Silva, now with a favorable balance of four successes for only two on Cuban.
Granda, with 18th place in the ranking, will barely receive 20 points for participation, but will remain among the 18 classified in this way for the Japanese capital.
The Japanese Kokoro Kageura (eighth) beat the Russian Tamerlan Bashaev for gold, another great winner, not only for the metal won but for displacing his compatriot Inal Tasoev with the obtaining of 1,400 points in the square for the appointment under the five rings . Arrived as the fourth of the orb, Bashaev in the next update must appear first. The bronzes were by the Dutchman Roy Meyer (tenth) and the Ukrainian Yakiv Khammo (12).
In the general medal table, Japan (5-4-2) dominated among 118 countries, despite not bringing all its best representatives, as an announcement of what it could do in the upcoming Olympic tournament.
They were followed by Georgia and Spain (1-1-2), Russia (1-1-1), France (1-1-0), Germany and Portugal (1-0-1), and Canada, Belgium and Croatia (1 -0-0), as the only golden award winners.
Cuna was placed in seat 28 with the scores of Ortiz and Maylín del Toro, the latter seventh in the 63 kg.
CUBA IN COMPETITION FOR MIXED TEAMS
The representation of the Island will open on Sunday against Georgia in pool D, considered by specialists as the strongest due to the presence also of France and the Netherlands.
The Antilleans will depend a lot on that first confrontation on their girls, with Arnaes Odelín at 57 kg, Maylín at 70 kg and Ortiz at +70 kg, according to the categories in which they compete in that sex.
For the Georgians, only Eteri Liparteliani (17) will be a difficult rival for Odelín, while Mariam Tchanturia (51) appears in the 70 kg, new weight for del Toro for competing in the lower in singles.
Sophio Somkhsvili is only placed at seat 93 at +78, so Ortiz or Kaliema Antomarchi, also registered, must overcome it.
The situation changes completely for men, since Georgians are one of the main world powers in that sex. They reached five medals, including Lasha Shavdatuashivili’s gold at 73 kg, and they will be joined by one who did not compete now, Lasha Bekauri, third on the list at 90 kg.
For these level opponents, the Caribbean Orlando Polanco and Magdiel Estrada, both at 73 kg, Iván Silva at 90 kg and Andy Granda at +90 kg, will have the most complicated fights.
Above the organization chart, Japan is expected to advance through section A, Russia in section B and Brazil in C.
