Jdo: Japan grab sixth Olympic judo gold with heartbreak

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2004
Jdo: Japan grab sixth Olympic judo gold with heartbreak

ATHENS, Aug 19 AFP - Japan's four-time world champion Noriko Anno finally struck gold
in Olympic judo today but her compatrot Kosei Inoue failed to retain his men's title from
the Sydney Games.

World bronze medallist Ihar Makarau beat South Korean Jang Sung-Ho on points in the
men's under-100kg light heavyweight final to lift the first ever Olympic judo gold medal
for Belarus.

The 28-year-old Anno, who lost in her first match at both the 1996 and 2000 Olympics,
struggled hard with China's Liu Xia in the women's under-78kg light heavyweight final.

But her attemped attacks finally got through with 22 seconds to go when Anno floored
the 25-year-old Chinese with a seoinage shoulder throw for a knockout ippon finish.

With one more day to go in the week-long Athens Games judo competition, Japan stood
with six gold medals, against one each for Belarus, China, Georgia, Germany, Greece and
South Korea.

Japan's previous best judo title haul was four at the 2000 Sydney Games as well as
the 1984 Los Angeles Games when only men's competition was held.

Inoue, the three-time world champion, was dumped by Elco van Der Geest in the quarter-finals
when the unfancied Dutchman, leading on points from two incomplete throws, with a seoinage
with 12 seconds to go.

The loss caused heartbreak among the 312-strong Japanese Olympic squad as 26-year-old
Inoue, a national icon, served as their captain.

In the men's final, Makarau threw Jang down for a near perfect waza-ari point in the
second minute and maintained the lead. Jang, the 1999 world silver medallist, staggered
Makarau with an incomplete throw with 20 seconds to go but it was not enough to change
the result.

It was the second Olympic judo medal for Belarus with Anatoly Laryukov taking the men's
under-73kg lightweight bronze in Sydney.

AFP nh

KEYWORD: OLY JDO DAYLEAD

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.