With that idea in mind, the fourth and last day of the individual competition at the World Judo Championships Cadets begun in Almaty. Heavy weights were under the spotlights, tall, strong and really powerful judoka. The sound we were looking for, that melodic explosion, was produced in bursts on the three tatamis of the enclosure as the matches took place. It is the sound of ippon and it sounds rampant.
On tatami 1 France Kenny Liveze blew Kyrgyzstan Anarbek Ishenbaev. On mat 2 Georgia Irakli Demetrashvili executed a spectacular ure-nage against India Yash Ghangas. A few seconds later, as if they had agree, Belarus Mikita Staravoitau embedded Italy Jean Carletti in the tatami. And so, all day long. The sound of ippon became a symphony.
-70kg
In the women -70kg category Japan was looking for their fifth gold medal. In blue judogi, Kuwagata Moka was expecting to produce the same quality judo that brought her to the last contest. In white judogi, Tsunoda Roustant Ai wanted to win the first medal of the competition for Spain. Tsunoda is the current European champion and was also brilliant all day long by defeating by ippon all her opponents, including Netherlands and world number one Yael Van Heemst in the semifinals.
The final was tight and tough. Fourty three seconds before the end, Tsunoda executed a spectacular o-goshi who made Kuwagata fly. The sound of ippon once again and the first gold medal for Spain.
“I made lots of mistakes at the beginning”, Tsunoda explained. “I should have attacked from the start. But I did not want to reach the golden score, so I decided to place my move just before”.
When we asked her about the future, she smiled and said that “sky is the limit”.
On the podium she received her medal from the International Judo Federation Education and Coaching Director Mohammed Meridja.
Germany has been very discreet during the whole week but woke up in the final day. Elisabeth Pflugbeil won the first bronze medal for her country by defeating Poland Katarzyna Sobierajska.
But only one because in the second contest for the bronze medal, Netherlands and world number one Yael Van Heems defeated Anna Monta Olek (GER) by waza-ari in the golden score.
FINAL
TSUNODA ROUSTANT Ai (ESP) vs KUWAGATA Moka (JPN)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
PFLUGBEIL Elisabeth (GER) vs SOBIERAJSKA Katarzyna (POL)
OLEK Anna Monta (GER) vs VAN HEEMST Yael (NED)
FINAL RESULTS
1. TSUNODA ROUSTANT, Ai (ESP)
2. KUWAGATA, Moka (JPN)
3. PFLUGBEIL, Elisabeth (GER)
3. VAN HEEMST, Yael (NED)
5. OLEK, Anna Monta (GER)
5. SOBIERAJSKA, Katarzyna (POL)
7. CARVALHO, Luana (BRA)
7. TUVSHINTUGS, Namuunaa (MGL)
-90kg
Russia Dzhavad Guseinov and France Kenny Liveze are two totally different judoka. The Russian is very smart and has really good tactical skills. The french is pure passion and very open moves. These two superb athletes met in the -90kg final. An opposition of style as we said, both being very agile, strong and fast. Guseinov defeated Israel Sivan Roy in the semifinals and that win is to be mentionned since Roy eliminated world number one and favorite to the title, Chinese Taipei Lin Sheng-Kai. As for Liveze, he had a pleasant day scoring ippons before his first really serious test in the semifinals. The french defeated by ippon Japan Todaka Junnosuke and, to win by ippon against a japanese judoka is always a good sign. Therefore, both went into the tatami full of self-confidence.
They were both cautious, they spent energy by neutralizing each other. But little by little Liveze seemed to get stronger and, thirty seconds away from golden score he scored ippon.
“I was nervous before the match because we have already met, and we ended up in the golden score. I won at that time but it was very hard. So, I knew I had to do something different to surprise him. It is exactly what I did”, Liveze said.
Todaka Junnosuke won the bronze medal by defeating Italy Daniele Accogli in the golden score.
Another two countries were at stake to get their first award. In the second bronze medal contest there was also a golden score. Israel Roy Sivan scored waza-ari and defeated Slovakia Benjamin Mataseje.
FINAL
GUSEINOV Dzhavad (RUS) vs LIVEZE Kenny (FRA)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
ACCOGLI Daniele (ITA) vs TODAKA Junnosuke (JPN)
MATASEJE Benjamin (SVK) vs SIVAN Roy (ISR)
FINAL RESULTS
1. LIVEZE, Kenny (FRA)
2. GUSEINOV, Dzhavad (RUS)
3. SIVAN, Roy (ISR)
3. TODAKA, Junnosuke (JPN)
5. ACCOGLI, Daniele (ITA)
5. MATASEJE, Benjamin (SVK)
7. LIN, Sheng-Kai (TPE)
7. SAFRANY, Peter (HUN)
+70kg
Kazakhstan had won medals every day of the competition. This time the crowd had to wait until the last women category to see a local judoka getting another one. It happened in the +70kg category. Madina Paragulgova qualified to the last match of the category after defeating France Liz Ngelebeya in the very last second of the semifinals, starring the most exciting come back of the competition since the french was leading with one waza-ari. Paragulgova scored waza-ari only two seconds away from the end and won by osae-komi on the gong. It was time to rest because Anna Santos was waiting in the final. The Brazilian and world number one was also in a great shape as we could see in her previous match where she eliminated Japan Yamaki Ion by ippon.
In the final, the crowd went crazy. Santos started well and pushed strong but Paragulgova placed a nice counterattack to score waza-ari. Ten seconds later came the cold shower from the brazilian. Santos scored ippon and left the crowd speechless.
Hilal Ozturk showed one more time that Turkey is building a strong team full of talent. After two gold medals in the previous day, Ozturk won the bronze against France Liz Ngelebeya.
The second bronze medal flew to Japan. Yamaki Ion was expected to be seen in the final but, after losing against Anna Santos in semifinals, she concluded her tournament by defeating Italy Erica Simonetti with osae-komi.
FINAL
SANTOS Anna (BRA) vs PARAGULGOVA Madina (KAZ)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
OZTURK Hilal (TUR) vs NGELEBEYA Liz (FRA)
SIMONETTI Erica (ITA) vs YAMAKI Ion (JPN)
FINAL RESULTS
1. SANTOS, Anna (BRA)
2. PARAGULGOVA, Madina (KAZ)
3. OZTURK, Hilal (TUR)
3. YAMAKI, Ion (JPN)
5. NGELEBEYA, Liz (FRA)
5. SIMONETTI, Erica (ITA)
7. NARMUKHAMEDOVA, Shakhida (KGZ)
7. TAVANO, Asya (ITA)
+90kg
The last final of the day was a Georgian party between two friends. In the men +90kg category Irakli Demtrashvili and Giga Tatiashvili secured the first gold medal for their country after a perfect day. Demetrashvili was fit from the very first match on and became the executioner of the two Russians competing in the category. Tatiashvili respected his own status. He is the world number two and defeated Japan, one of the biggest favorites Sugawara Mitsuki in the semifinals.
Georgia is a small country but a great nation of judo. These two young men showed that the future will be bright for the Georgian team. This time, the glory was on Demetrashvili’s side, who scored waza-ari in the golden score.
He received his gold medal from Askhat Zhitkeyev, Kazakhstan Judo Federation General Secretary.
We spoke with him to understand how difficult is to compete against a friend. “It is the toughest thing”, he confirmed, “because we know our strongest and weakest points. I did not try to think too much about that, I just tried and tried again until it worked”.
Sugawara Mitsuki, from Japan, and Nodal Onoprienko, from Russia, won the last two bronze medals of the individual competition by defeating Azerbaijan Huseyn Mammedov and Australia Lee Sung Min, both by ippon, both by producing the sound of ippon.
FINAL
DEMETRASHVILI Irakli (GEO) vs TATIASHVILI Giga (GEO)
BRONZE MEDAL CONTESTS
MAMMEDOV Huseyn (AZE) vs SUGAWARA Mitsuki (JPN)
LEE Sung Min (AUS) vs ONOPRIENKO Nodal (RUS)
FINAL RESULTS
1. DEMETRASHVILI, Irakli (GEO)
2. TATIASHVILI, Giga (GEO)
3. ONOPRIENKO, Nodar (RUS)
3. SUGAWARA, Mitsuki (JPN)
5. LEE, Sung Min (AUS)
5. MAMMEDOV, Huseyn (AZE)
7. ANGLIONIN, Mathias (FRA)
7. BAGRIN, Alin (MDA)
Twenty-one countries have left Kazakhstan with a medal. Japan lead the medal table with eleven medals, four of them in gold.
This is the end of the individual World Judo Championships Cadets. On Sunday the Mixed Team competition will be held. If the level of judo remains, if athletes perform as great as the whole week, there is no doubt we will hear again the sound of ippon.