Day 2 was marked by thunderous throws and just as many fine ne-waza sequences. Olympic and world medallists were everywhere you looked and they did not disappoint.
Like so many World Judo Tour events of recent years, it was the Abe siblings, Uta and Hifumi, who stole the headlines once more for Japan. Both were typically dominant, producing powerful throws in almost every contest, with Uta also reminding us of the Japanese women’s ne-waza prowess. Each claimed their fourth world title; only six other Japanese judoka in history can say they’ve done the same.
Hifumi contested the final with long-time rival and fellow multiple world champion Joshiro Maruyama, their 6th meeting on the IJF Tour and 11th in all competitions. Like the Tashkent World Championships last year, Maruyama had to be content with a silver medal and his chances of beating Abe to the Japanese Olympic place this time around are looking slimmer and slimmer. The bronze medals at -66kg were won by Walide Khyar (FRA) and Bashkuu Yondonperenlei (MGL); these were their first and second medals at a world championships, respectively.
Uta faced off with the in-form Diyora Keldiyorova (UZB) in her final. Keldiyorova put up a good fight for the first two minutes of the contest but succumbed to Abe’s ne-waza skills. Despite this she will be delighted with a first senior world championship medal. The -52kg bronze medals were shared between Odette Giuffrida (ITA) and Amandine Buchard (FRA), a first for Giuffrida and a remarkable fourth bronze for Buchard.
The medal contests were preceded by a spectacular opening ceremony, which celebrated Qatar’s rich cultural history, while also looking to the future, in particular its sporting future. The ceremony featured welcoming speeches from Mr Khalid bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the Local Organising Committee’s Vice President and Director General of these championships, and Mr Marius Vizer, President of the IJF, along with dance performances and demonstrations from young Qatari judoka.
With Japan taking the two gold medals on offer on day 2, the medal table is starting to take shape and indeed Japan leads the way with 3 gold medals so far, with Spain still 2nd, followed closely by Uzbekistan in 3rd with their 2 silver medals. Can anyone stop the Japanese medal train?
Day 3 will see the -57kg and -73kg categories continue this great judo festival. Expect more drama and plenty of surprises. Watch all the action live on judotv.com.