In golden score Fohou found new strength and began to open up, pushing the Hungarian champion to her limits. However, Ozbas is not in a big final for the first time. She’s as hard-working as anyone could ever be and has reserves deeper than her opponents might like. As things became trickier for her, she changed gears and made space in the transition phase between tachi-waza and ne-waza turning Fohou on to her back. A score, a win, a gold medal in Paris; all belonged to Szofi Ozbas.
Rin Maeda (JPN) found herself in a bronze medal contest instead of the final she wanted to be in, in Paris. She faced Portuguese starlet Tais Pina (POR), a determined opponent. Pina almost caught her early too, with an o-soto-seoi-otoshi combination but Maeda landed on two knees, a position not to be considered for scoring purposes.
The score stayed even, neither managing to throw decisively but just inside the last minute Pina attacked and gave Maeda a chance to change tactic. The Japanese judoka went straight to the floor and applied an inescapable shime-waza, gaining the submission, the win and the medal.
Ai Tsunoda Roustant (ESP) and Irene Pedrotti (ITA) faced one another for the second bronze medal of the category. Cancelling each other out throughout normal time they went into golden score. Pedrotti then thought she had it when a waza-ari was called for a throw performed way outside the contest area.
A fast review showed it was not valid, leaving Pedrotti to refocus; difficult to do when the win she thought she had was revoked. It wasn’t to be; Tsunoda Roustant kept the pressure going and caught the Italian in the very next exchange. The medal would be heading to Spain.
Final (-70 kg)
Bronze Medal Fights (-70 kg)
