Judo: Awesome Japan Makes Ominous Start - Jakarta Globe

Japan's Sugimoto Mika (white kimono) fights against Cuba's Idalis Ortiz during their match for the team contest at the Judo World Championships on Saturday in Paris. (AFP Photo) function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;}

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Paris. Favorites Japan made an ominous start to the men’s and women’s team competitions at the Palais Omnisport de Bercy on Sunday, living up to their star billing.

There was just one blip in the men’s opening 4-1 victory against Britain as Euan Burton stunned Takahiro Nakai with a powerful hip wheel technique (koshi-guruma) which scored the maximum ippon.

Japan were leading 2-0 until that moment but Daiki Nishiyama calmed any nerves they may have been feeling by throwing Winston Gordon for ippon to earn the decisive third point.

Things will be tougher for Japan in the next round where they will come up against Kazakhstan, who easily dismissed Australia 4-1.

Hosts France also started impressively despite fielding a second string against Poland.

Dimitri Dragin got them off to the perfect start as he threw Tomasz Kowalski for ippon with a foot sweep (ashi-waza).

Axel Clerget scored the decisive third point with an armlock to submit his opponent.

The most impressive performances came from Brazil and Russia who defeated Uzbekistan and Mongolia respectively 5-0.

In the women’s competition Japan started with a comfortable 5-0 success against Britain, although they were at times made to sweat, such as world number one at under-63kg Yoshie Ueno who was taken deep into golden score by Faith Pitman before earning the crucial third point.

Their second round clash, however, pitted them against the formidable Cubans, the most successful nation in women’s team competition after Japan.

And things started badly as Yanet Bermoy Acosta upset newly crowned world under-52kg champion Misato Nakamura in the opening bout.

But Japan reeled off the next three victories with Yoriko Kunihara repeating her individual victory of Onix Cortes Aldama to snatch the third point.

Elsewhere China made short work of Tunisia 5-0 before facing top seeds Germany, the runners-up last year but seeded first in the absence of holders the Netherlands.

That one went to the wire before heavyweight runner-up Qin Qian threw Franziska Konitz for ippon with an outer reap (osoto-gari) to send the Asians into the semi-finals.

And hosts France looked impressive as they dismissed Brazil and Algeria.

Brazil’s Erika Miranda gave them cause for concern by beating Penelope Bonna in the opening bout but France reeled off the next four.

And they were never in danger against Algeria with new under-63kg world champion Gevrise Emane scoring the winning third point by throwing Ratiba Tariket for ippon with her trademark shoulder throw (seoi-nage) off her knees.

On Saturday China’s Tong Wen came back from her doping-related absence to claim a sixth world title in the over-78kg division.

Tong tested positive for clenbuterol following her victory at the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro two years ago.

She was banned for two years but successfully appealed against her sanction due to a technicality regarding the testing of her B sample.

Controversially that freed her up to regain the crown she was unable to defend in Tokyo last year as she pinned team-mate Qian in the final.

Home hero Teddy Riner delighted the packed Bercy crowd by storming to victory in the men’s over-100kg category.

Riner was in a class of his own and smashed through the opposition until he threw Germany’s Andreas Toelzer in the final with an inner reap (ouchi-gari).

Russia’s Tagir Khaybulaev was brilliant in winning the men’s under-100kg category as he threw 2009 world champion Maxim Rakov of Kazakhstan in the final with a stunning two-sleeved hip throw (sode-tsuri-komi-goshi).

Agence France-Presse

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