OSAKA, Japan, 15 September 2003 — Tiny judo queen Ryoko Tamura grabbed a historic sixth straight world gold medal here yesterday, crowning Japan’s comeback in the sport they call their own. Asians swept aside European rivals in all four finals on the final day of the World Championships as South Korea won their third men’s gold and China followed with their second women’s title.
“I kept thinking I must win, no matter how, and I cannot lose,” Tamura said after beating European champion Frederique Jossinet of France without scoring any points in the 48kg bantamweight final. It stretched by one the individual record of most world judo titles, adding to her first Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000.
Keiji Suzuki, usually a reserve light-heavyweight, won the men’s open title by flooring Sydney Olympic bronze medalist Estonian Indrek Pertelson by a leg throw to wrap up Japan’s gold hunt at six medals, three each for men and women.
South Korean bantamweight Choi Min-Ho pushed down Britain’s Craig Fallon with a leg haul for a perfect “ippon” knockout finish in the men’s 60kg final. In the semifinals, Choi outpointed defending champion Anis Lounifi of Tunisia, who became the first African world judo champion in 2001.
Britain took their second silver medal here when Karina Bryant, who won the women’s over-78kg heavyweight bronze three days earlier, battled Asian Games champion Tong Wen of China in the open final.
Tong, 33kg heavier at 126kg, tripped Bryant down and pinned her for 25 seconds to win a medal better than her bronze from the last championships, underlining China’s dominance in the women’s heavier divisions. Her compatriot Sun Fuming won the heavyweight crown Thursday.
Bryant said her double-medal was “not too hard” after she cleared the first goal of finishing in the heavyweight top five to qualify for the Olympics.
Britain’s Fallon said he also wanted to finish in the top five and that “getting a silver is a little bonus.” Apart from Japan, South Korea and China, a gold medal was won by Argentina, Cuba, Germany, Iran and North Korea.
