Double delight for Japan

AFP, RIO DE JANEIRO: Mashu Baker and Haruka Tachimoto made it a golden double for Japan on Wednesday at the Rio Olympic judo tournament.
Four years on from Japan’s disastrous London Games, the country that gave judo to the world is now top of the sport’s medals table in Rio with two days left.
“The Japanese long for the gold medal so we have to perform graciously and courageously — we have to win the gold medal,” said Tachimoto.
Shohei Ono had got them off the golden mark on Monday by winning the men’s under-73kg while all bar one of the 10 fighters to compete so far have finished on the podium.
In London, Japan managed just one gold medal through Kaori Matsumoto — who won bronze on Monday — in the women’s under-57kg division.
The failure of the men’s team to win a gold was a national embarrassment.
“The place where we can show how strong we are is not international tournaments or even the world championships, it’s the Olympic Games,” said Baker, whose father is American but who was brought up by a single Japanese mother.
“My head coach (Sydney 2000 gold medallist Kosei Inoue) told us that and we knew it.”
First Tachimoto stunned three-time world champion Yuri Alvear of Colombia to win the women’s under-73kg title before Baker, whose first name is a Japanised version of Mathew, edged out Varlam Liparteliani of Georgia in the men’s under-90kg.
The 26-year-old Tachimoto, who had never before won a major individual medal, countered Alvear’s hip throw attempt with a rear take-down and then pinned her opponent for the maximum ippon score. She said getting away from Japan after her London disappointment — she finished seventh — had given her a new lease of life. “I tried to change my surroundings, I travelled to England and Mongolia to try something completely new,” she said.
“When I was abroad it refreshed my mind.” 
In the semi-final, world number 14 Tachimoto had come up against Germany’s Laura Vagas Koch.
The German had won a silver medal when the world championships were in Rio three years ago, but Tachimoto threw her for a half point waza-ari score with a major outer reap and then controlled the remainder of the contest.

 

Double delight for Japan

AFP, RIO DE JANEIRO: Mashu Baker and Haruka Tachimoto made it a golden double for Japan on Wednesday at the Rio Olympic judo tournament. Four years on from Japans disastrous London Games, the country that gave judo to the world is now top of the sports medals table in Rio with two days left. The Japanese long for the gold medal so we have to perform graciously and courageously we have to win the gold medal, said Tachimoto. Shohei Ono had got them off the golden mark on Monday by winning the mens under-73kg while all bar one of the 10 fighters to compete so far have finished on the podium. In London, Japan managed just one gold medal through Kaori Matsumoto who won bronze on Monday in the womens under-57kg division. The failure of the mens team to win a gold was a national embarrassment. The place where we can show how strong we are is not international tournaments or even the world championships, its the Olympic Games, said Baker, whose father is American but who was brought up by a single Japanese mother. My head coach (Sydney 2000 gold medallist Kosei Inoue) told us that and we knew it. First Tachimoto stunned three-time world champion Yuri Alvear of Colombia to win the womens under-73kg title before Baker, whose first name is a Japanised version of Mathew, edged out Varlam Liparteliani of Georgia in the mens under-90kg. The 26-year-old Tachimoto, who had never before won a major individual medal, countered Alvears hip throw attempt with a rear take-down and then pinned her opponent for the maximum ippon score. She said getting away from Japan after her London disappointment she finished seventh had given her a new lease of life. I tried to change my surroundings, I travelled to England and Mongolia to try something completely new, she said. When I was abroad it refreshed my mind. In the semi-final, world number 14 Tachimoto had come up against Germanys Laura Vagas Koch. The German had won a silver medal when the world championships were in Rio three years ago, but Tachimoto threw her for a half point waza-ari score with a major outer reap and then controlled the remainder of the contest.