Japanese masterclass on the Guadalajara tatami

By Euronews

Published on 28/05/2016 - 18:22

Euronews reporter Pedro Lasuen is in Mexico as our guide to the World Judo Masters:

Euronews reporter Pedro Lasuen is in Mexico as our guide to the World Judo Masters:
“The World Judo Masters 2016 is taking place here in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. The Masters is the competition that brings together the top 16 judoka from each weight category.
It is a crucial event for four reasons.
Firstly, victory brings an enormous amount of prestige.
Secondly, the prize money on offer eclipses the Grand Slams.
Thirdly, there are more points to garner than in the Grand Prixs and Grand Slams.
Last but not least it is the final qualification event for the Olympic Games.
For the next three days
Guadalajara is the epicentre of the Judo world.
In the women’s under 48kg class former World Champion Ami Kondo took on the Olympic champion from London 2012 Brazil’s Sarah Menezes.

マスターズ優勝出来ました！
久々の海外での優勝、素直に嬉しいです
オリンピックに向けて自信がつきました
初戦はへなちょこな試合したからしっかり反省しないとね。
応援ありがとうございました！ pic.twitter.com/RzdGMDHg0s
— kondo ami (amtk_0509) <a href="https://twitter.com/amtk_0509/status/736365922508636161">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <b></b> Kondo got the better of her higher ranked opponent 1.28 seconds into the bout with ippon after some strong tatami work. <b></b> The sun continues to shine down on Japanese judo as much lauded Misato Nakamura faced off against Russia's Natalia Kuziutina in the -52kg final. <b></b> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"tw-align-center data-lang="en"><p lang="ro" dir="ltr">Categoría -52kg femenil:<br>1- Nakamura Misato (JPN)<br>2- Kuziuta Natalia (RUS)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/judogdl2016?src=hash">#judogdl2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/R43UykFqVR">pic.twitter.com/R43UykFqVR</a></p>— Judo Masters GDL2016 (judogdl2016) May 27, 2016

Both judoka picked up penalty points, but Nakamura did the damage with yuko and ippon as the clock ticked down.
Mongolia did the business in the -57kg final with victory for Sumiya Dorjsuren over the Frenchwoman Helene Receveaux deep into the final with yuko.

Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia won the women's under 57kg competition ©IJF pic.twitter.com/sVEYhdVuRK
— PAZ (tortugadiaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tortugadiaz/status/668010586798751744">November 21, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <b></b> Azerbaijan judoka Orkhan Safarov took gold in the -60kg category he met French man Vincent Limare in the final. <b></b> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"tw-align-center data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Orkhan Safarov won the silver medal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Azerbaijan?src=hash">#Azerbaijan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuropeanGames?src=hash">#EuropeanGames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baku2015?src=hash">#Baku2015</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Realbaku2015?src=hash">#Realbaku2015</a> <a href="http://t.co/nJ7Le3WwLe">pic.twitter.com/nJ7Le3WwLe</a></p>— Orxan Rehimzade (Orkhan091) June 25, 2015

Despite three penalty points the Azeri claimed victory by two yuko.
The surprise of the day saw the elimination of the former World Champion Japan’s Naohisa Takato he was beaten by the Frenchman Vincent Limare by Ippon in the first preliminary fight.

TAKATO Naohisa Great fighter pic.twitter.com/RpHrpbpygb
— piotr zielaskowski (rksvictoriajudo) <a href="https://twitter.com/rksvictoriajudo/status/685178016230694912">January 7, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <b></b> Another exit that surprised some was the defeat of the multi-titled Kaori Matsumoto the Japanese judoka defeated by Chen-Ling Lien of Chinese Tai Pei,another early elimination. <b></b> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"tw-align-center data-lang="en"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">Kaori Matsumoto actual campeona olímpica, pierde su combate contra Chen-Ling. -57kg.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JudoGDL2016?src=hash">#JudoGDL2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/nsgAMwh599">pic.twitter.com/nsgAMwh599</a></p>— Judo Masters GDL2016 (judogdl2016) May 27, 2016

A moving moment in a day of drama goes to the eventual winner of the -52kg class Misato Nakamura. .