The afternoon session began with the first repechage contest featuring Jisu Kim (KOR) and Lubjana Piovesana (AUT). Both gave excellent performances in the morning session but in the afternoon it was the Austrian who was better prepared. She won on the ground gaining a submission with a very tight sankaku-jime and would therefore progress to a bronze medal contest.
The second repechage contest was dynamic and aggressive from the get-go, both athletes giving everything for the chance to fight for a medal at the Olympic Games. 23 year old world medallist Fazliu (KOS) was not over-awed by the 30 year old world and Olympic medallist and threw Beauchemin-Pinard for waza-ari in golden score, a contest that never slowed down from the first second to the last.
There are moments you think the arena can’t get any louder but then the semi-final is announced and Clarisse steps on to the tatami; it’s a whole new level of noise. Facing old rival, Andreja Leski, to whom she has never lost, was not as simple as the statistics might suggest. What looked like a foregone conclusion was anything but and to quieten the crow Leski countered for a waza-ari with only 15 seconds to go. There was nothing Clarisse could do. Leski would reach her first Olympic final and she arrived there magnificently.
Mexico is not a country we are used to seeing in the final block at the Olympic Games and yet here we are. Prisca Awiti-Alcaraz has decided to break the mould, reaching the semi-final in style to face Katarina Kristo (CRO), another underdog in Paris. Awiti-Alcaraz, not satisfied with a top 5 finish, decided to throw everything at her campaign and threw Kristo early to conclude later with juji-gatame. It was a masterful performance, one worthy of an Olympic final.
The first bronze medal contest saw the room erupt as Agbegnenou strode on to the mat to face the fearless Austrian, Piovesana. It took less than half the allotted time for the French powerhouse to throw for ippon with a huge harai-makikomi to the cheers of thousands of adoring spectators. They all wanted gold but they are all happy to witness greatness even when decorated with bronze.
The second bronze medal very nearly went to Kristo who seemed to have countered Fazliu, finally, at a moment when each had two penalties. However on review it was clear that Kristo had touched the leg during the exchange and so she received the third penalty and sent Fazliu to the podium.
In the final, the Mexican typhoon continued and she threw Leski right off the bat with her lightning fast tomoe-nage, registering a waza-ari on the board. The onslaught from Leski levelled up making it difficult for Awiti-Alcaraz to hold her footing and eventually the Slovenian caught her, throwing for waza-ari and holding until the second score was confirmed. Mexico has an Olympic silver medallist in judo but the gold is heading back to Slovenia, for the third time in 4 Olympic cycles.
After the final, Andreja Leski said, "Tina won silver in Tokyo and now with my gold, I feel our victory is together. It’s for her and me and Slovenia.
My cousin was the one who brought me to judo at the beginning and he was kidding with me when I lost at the worlds in Doha, in the final. He said not to worry because I would win against Clarisse in Paris and now it’s true."
Final (-63 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-63 kg)
Final Results (-63 kg)
