Paris, Oct 16 (Prensa Latina) .- Japan today won four of the seven titles played on the first day of the Paris Grand Slam of judo, which was not attended by most of the main figures of the discipline in the world.
In the Accor Arena in this capital, the Japanese Wakana Koga defeated in the fight for gold, in the 48 kilograms (kg), the French Melanie Legoux Clement, a division in which the bronze medals went to the neck of the galas Blandine Pont and Shirine Boukli.
Also in the 57 kg, a Japanese woman, Haruka Funakubo, dominated, followed on the podium by the German Caroline Fritze, while the Belgian Mina Libeer and the Georgian Eteri Liparteliani finished third.
The 52 kg category was championed by the Israeli Gefen Primo, with the silver being the host Astride Gneto and with the bronzes the German Mascha Ballhaus and the Mongolian Khorloodoi Bishrelt.
For her part, the Portuguese Bárbara Timo won in the 63 kg, second was the British Lucy Renshall and third the Polish Angelika Szymanska and the French Manon Deketer.
Among men, Japan conquered the Parisian Grand Slam crown with Ryoma Tanaka (66 kilograms) and Kenshi Harada (73), better in the final than Japan’s Taikoh Fujisaka and local Theo Riquin, respectively.
The gold medal in the 60 kg went to the Azerbaijani Balabay Aghayev, winner in the crucial duel against the Russian Ramazan Abdulaev, with the Japanese Genki Koga and the French Romain Valadier Picard as tans.
Tomorrow the men’s titles of 81, 90, 100 and more than 100 kilograms and the women’s titles of 70, 78 and more than 78 kg will be discussed.
The recent celebration of the Tokyo Olympics and the travel limitations, still in force by Covid-19, alienated many of the sport’s best competitors from the 50th edition of the prestigious judo competition.
The tournament welcomes 283 athletes representing 46 countries from five continents.
npg / wmr
