Women’s -63kg: After Tokyo, last year, AGBEGNENOU Gold again in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: IJF News, Oct 18, 2011: The final started very well for the AGBEGNENOU, who immediately scored Yuko, but immediately followed by a waza-ari for Yusubova (AZE) on a counter attack. The rhythm was high and nobody could tell, who the winner would be. Before the middle of the fight, the French seemed to take the advantage and scored also a waza-ari, taking the lead with her first yuko. From then on, Yusubova was never able the get back to score and was finally immobilized: gold for France!
Claudia MALZHAN (GER), top ranked number 7th, and seeded number 1 in Abu Dhabi, could make it through the preliminaries to enter the final four of the competition.

But in her half of the draw table, an other competitor was hungry of victories: the French, Clarisse AGBEGNENOU, only 18 year-old and already winner of the last year Grand Slam in Tokyo. Even if the category is now clearly dominated by an other French competitor, Gévrise EMANE, double World Champion, Clarisse AGBEGNENOU, coming from the city of Rennes in France, was ready to get an other important medal in the United Arab Emirates. And in her semi-final against the German, she had no difficulty to score ippon during the first half of the fight, with an powerful te-guruma.

The second half of the draw table was dominated by two other European fighters: Marijana MISKOVIC (CRO), 17th in the World Ranking List, and Ramila YUSUBOVA (AZE), who’s best results so far on the world level, is a bronze medal on the occasion of the world championships, last year in Tokyo. Only a few seconds were necessary to the competitor from Azerbaijan to score ippon with a terrific Uchi-Mata.

Final: AGBEGNENOU, Clarisse (FRA) vs. YUSUBOVA, Ramila (AZE)

Semi-Finals: MALZAHN, Claudia (GER) vs. AGBEGNENOU, Clarisse (FRA) and MISKOVIC, Marijana (CRO) vs. YUSUBOVA, Ramila (AZE)

Final Results:

1. AGBEGNENOU, Clarisse (FRA)
2. YUSUBOVA, Ramila (AZE)
3. MALZAHN, Claudia (GER)
3. MISKOVIC, Marijana (CRO)
5. SILVA, Mariana (BRA)
5. AGUIRRE, Yahaira (ESP)
5. XU, Lili (CHN)
5. TSEDEVSUREN, Munkhzaya (MGL)

Men’s -73kg: Wang is Back!

After 3 minutes of fight, the score was still empty between world number 2, WANG Ki-Chun (KOR), and AWANO from Japan. Penalized a first time, for passivity, the Japanese athlete received a second penalty (shied), giving the advantage to the Korean. Nothing else being scored, Wang won the gold Medal of the Men’s-73kg.

There is no need to present WANG Ki-Chun, already two times world champion, and definitely the favorite of the competition in the men’s -73kg. But 2011 is not his best year so far, even though the Korean had started the season very well with the title on the occasion of the World Judo Masters, Baku 2011, last January. He then also won the title of the Asian Championship in baku, but his main objective was to get the gold in Paris, for the third time. On his way to the final he met the French, Ugo Legrand, who scored a quick ippon in front of his public, synonym of a return ticket without a medal for Wang.

In Abu Dhabi, in the semi-final he was opposed to the Spanish Kiyoshi UEMATSU and he could win with two yuko. The second semi-final of the men’s -73kg opposed Rinat IBRAGIMOV (KAZ) and Yasuhiro AWANO (JPN), the Japanese winning with a smooth shoulder movement which sent his opponent on his back for ippon.

Final: WANG, Ki-Chun (KOR) vs. AWANO, Yasuhiro (JPN)

Semi-Finals: WANG, Ki-Chun (KOR) vs. UEMATSU, Kiyoshi (ESP) and IBRAGIMOV, Rinat (KAZ) vs. AWANO, Yasuhiro (JPN)

Final Results:

1. WANG, Ki-Chun (KOR)
2. AWANO, Yasuhiro (JPN)
3. UEMATSU, Kiyoshi (ESP)
3. IBRAGIMOV, Rinat (KAZ)
5. ADAMIEC, Tomasz (POL)
5. SAINJARGAL, Nyam-Ochir (MGL)
5. SOROKA, Volodymyr (UKR)
5. DELPOPOLO, Nicholas (USA)

Women’s -70kg: Gold for Tachimoto!

After 30 seconds, Tachimoto scored the first yuko of the final with a well executed o-uchi-gari that Marie Pasquet couldn’t avoid. The French never seemed to be able to take over the power of Tachimoto, who before the half of the fight immobilized Pasquet, for ippon.

Some really beautiful judo was seen on the occasion of the women’s -70kg category, and many ippons were scored all day long. In the upper part of the draw table, Tachimoto was not in danger and could win her preliminary rounds without any problem. Linda BOLDER (NED) had also an easy way to the semi-final, were she met the Japanese. The first matches were not that simple for the French Marie PASQUET, who is still blocked in France by the untouchable triple World Champion, Lucie DECOSSE.

In quarter-final, PASQUET was opposed to Anett MESZAROS, from Hungary, two times world silver medallist and European Champion. The fight was tough. A few seconds only before the end, Meszaros was still leading and she was sure that she could enter the final four but, PASQUET found the miracle solution with an tremendous O-Soto-Gari and destroyed the Hungarian’s dreams for a medal. Pasquet’s semi-final was a little easier as she rapidly found a good opportunity to launch her tomoe-nage for a superb ippon against CHEN, from China.

Final: TACHIMOTO, Haruka (JPN) vs. PASQUET, Marie (FRA)

Semi-Finals: TACHIMOTO, Haruka (JPN) vs. BOLDER, Linda (NED) and PASQUET, Marie (FRA) vs. CHEN, Fei (CHN)

Final Results

1. TACHIMOTO, Haruka (JPN)
2. PASQUET, Marie (FRA)
3. BOLDER, Linda (NED)
3. CHEN, Fei (CHN)
5. MILED, Houda (TUN)
5. ZUPANCIC, Kelita (CAN)
5. MESZAROS, Anett (HUN)
5. BLANCO, Cecilia (ESP)

Men’s -81kg: Beautiful Medal for the Calm Nakai

Just before the first minute of the final, Nakai tried a powerful left-handed ko-uchi-gari, that sent Elmont on the tatami, but not enough to score. The two fighter seemed to perfectly control themselves, when Nakai launched a o-soto-gari, judged as a waza-ari. Elmont was never able to come back and the victory went the calm Nakai.

Ranked number 4, and seeded number 1, Tshimoto Nakai, from Japan, finalist of this year edition of the World Judo Masters, showed an impressive calmness throughout the day of competition. Nothing seemed to bother him. But that was the case only up to the semifinal, where he was opposed to the Russian, Ivan VOROBEV, a real surprise at this level of competition, as this competitor was not known so far. Earlier during the tournament, Vorobev defeated Flavio Canto, from Brazil, who expected a better result in Abu Dhabi. But the Brazilian couldn’t find the solution and lost by yuko.

The semi-final was a tough fight, the Russian rapidly leading with a sever advantage (waza-ari), but once again, Nakai did not lose his nerves, scoring yuko and then pushing his opponent to be penalized. He finally won and entered the semi-final.

The second half of the table was dominated by Travis Stevens (USA) who defeated Elkhan RAJABLI (AZE) in his quarter-final, and by Guillaume Elmont, World Champion in Cairo, back in 2005. Elmont finally won this match during the golden score.

Final: NAKAI, Takahiro (JPN) vs. ELMONT, Guillaume (NED)

Semi-Finals: NAKAI, Takahiro (JPN) vs. VOROBEV, Ivan (RUS) and STEVENS, Travis (USA) vs. ELMONT, Guillaume (NED)

Final Results:

1. NAKAI, Takahiro (JPN)
2. ELMONT, Guillaume (NED)
3. VOROBEV, Ivan (RUS)
3. STEVENS, Travis (USA)
5. MARIJANOVIC, Tomislav (CRO)
5. CANTO, Flavio (BRA)
5. RAJABLI, Elkhan (AZE)
5. ATTAF, Safouane MAR)

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