The afternoon session began with the repechage contests. Boukli, determined to make no further mistakes, threw Scutto for waza-ari inside the last minute and offered no space for Scutto to get back in. The world number one was left in 7th place while Shirine Boukli, to the cheers of the crowd, moved forward to fight for bronze.
In the second repechage contest Abuzhakynova pulled rank and held Narvaez for ippon. Her opponent in the bronze medal contest was to be a highly motivated Tara Babulfath who was struggling to accept her third shido against veteran 3-time world champion Tsunoda (JPN). Babulfath clearly broke the grip though and the shido was due, despite a valiant effort in a close contest.
Tsunoda was into the final of her first Olympic Games and there she would meet the current world champion Bavuudorj, the Mongolian athlete who has looked untouchable throughout the day. Martinez Abelenda (ESP) lost the semi-final against Bavuudorj to drop into a bronze medal contest against Shirine Boukli.
The palpable excitement in the Champs-de-Mars again rose to a new level with the announcement of the medal contests. First up was Boukli and Martinez Abelenda. The Frenchwoman was never at risk despite the closeness of the fight. A waza-ari in golden score from an o-soto-gari to counter the Spaniard’s failed seoi-otoshi sealed it, Boukli would leave the Champs-de-Mars with a medal around her neck, the first medal for France at this Olympic Games, from any sport!
The second bronze medal went to Tara Babulfath, the 18 year old Swedish judoka who had to rush through qualifying but made it, fought brilliantly and won her country their first ever Olympic medal in judo.
She was dominated at first but as the time ticked away, she found her stride and learned the gripping and eventually found a gap during a transition phase to hold Abuzhakynova down. It was an emotional win but one Babulfath believed was possible right from the first fight of the day.
In the final, the current world champion, Baasankhuu Bavuudorj, faced the triple world champion from the 3 previous years, Natsumi Tsunoda, in an epic battle of speed and will. The tome-nage of Tsunoda has been central to her strategy all day and Bavuudorj was aware of it but in the end she was caught by it, steered with both feet and landed neatly on her side. It was enough, it was her route to Olympic gold!
Final (-48 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-48 kg)
Final Results (-48 kg)
