Middleweight (≤70 kilograms), Women

Japan celebrated a clear sweep in the two middleweight judo events on the same day in Rio, with Haruka Tachimoto claiming the gold in the women’s 70 kg division and Mashu Baker in the men’s 90 kg division. For Tachimoto, Colombia’s triple World Champion Yuri Alvear was the woman she had to beat in front of what proved to be a “home crowd” for the South American. Being ranked a lowly 12, Tachimoto had to win some difficult fights in the elimination rounds. In her second bout she faced the top seed, and triple European Champion, Kim Polling from Netherlands and advanced into the next round by a Yuko in the Golden Score period. In the quarter-finals, she scored a Waza-ari against Canada’s Kelita Zupancic. In the semi-final, against eventual bronze medal winner Laura Vargas Koch from Germany, she had to go the full four minutes but held on to an advantage scored by a Waza-ari after 1:38 min. Although she had been penalized for non-combativity early in the fight Tachimoto came back, throwing Alvear with a Tani-otoshi (Valley drop) for a Waza-ari and pinned her on the ground for the required 20 seconds to score an Ippon (Full point) after 2:19 min. Second-seeded Alvear, bronze medalist in London 2012, was Colombia’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony in Rio. The two defeated semi-finalists, Vargas Koch and Britain’s Sally Conway, who eliminated reigning World Champion Gévrise Emane from France, claimed the two bronze medals. Mabika Yolande Bukasa, originally from Democratic Republic of Congo but in Rio representing the Refugee Olympic Team, had to leave the Olympic stage after just 1:03 min in her first bout losing by an Ippon.