Russia on top of the Judo world

Russia won their first world team championship title on Monday after they beat Japan in a tense final in Salvador de Bahia Brazil.

It was the 2010 world champions Japan who got off to the better start though when Masashi Ebinuma beat Mikhail Pulyaev in the men’s -66kg category. The World champion produced a superb leg movement to claim the first win of the day by ippon.

Japan won the second fight also in the under 73 kilo class to go two nil up. But Russia reduced the deficit in the third matchup when at the end of a very tactical under 81 kilo fight between Keita Nagashima and Murat Khabachirov the decision was made by 2 penalties for Japan and one against the Russian, who took the victory point.

After also winning the under 90 kilo category Russia completed their comeback when they claimed the fifth and deciding fight and their first world team title when triple world champion and Olympic silver medallist Alexander Mikhaylin beat Ryu Schichinohe in an energy-sapping over 90 kilo contest.

It continued Russia’s recent domination of men’s Judo after also winning three Olympic titles in London in August.

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