Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 3

Liparteliani made judo look easy and set the standard for the day. For the rest, it was a question of who might join her in the final as her place had already been decided, by her, a long time before she touched down in the Azerbaijani capital.

The two Japanese entrants were drawn in the same quarter, due to their world ranking. Therefore, only one would have the opportunity to stand on the top step of the podium, if Liparteliani would be willing to step aside. It was eventually Akari Omori who won that chance, beating her compatriot in their quarter-final and then passing Olympic medallist Sarah-Leonie Cysique (FRA) in the semi-final stage.

Elsewhere, Ana Viktorija Puljiz (CRO) had an excellent morning. Control and focus characterised her style throughout the preliminary session and in her repechage contest, having lost to Liparteliani in their quarter-final, she was so dominant that every possible score was registered on her side of the board.

It took some big performances for the last six judoka to reach the final block. To find out who will claim the medals and the overall title, stay tuned to JudoTV.com. The action will begin again at 6pm local time.