Four different winning judo nations at Paralympics

The Ukraine had four medal chances and won four medals, but despite three final spots, the four medals went to four different countries. The first gold though was for favourite Inna Cherniak U57kg.

Cherniak defeated Brazilian home favourite Lucia Da Silva Teixeira Aruajo of Brazil. After 40 seconds in the match Cherniak decided the match quickly by oseikomi after a quick transition from a wazari for a takeover. Cherniak won her three matches and in the semi final she took the victory over Hana Seo of Korea who won the bronze. Da Silva defeated Junko Hirose of Japan, who also captured bronze, all semi finallists took the medals.

In the men’s U73kg category Ukraine had the chance when Dmytro Solovey qualified for the final after he beat Uzbek Feruz Sayidov in the semi final. Solovey lost the final against Azeri Ramil Gasimov who led in the match by wazari, but ten seconds for the end he threw Solovey with a sutemi for ippon and snatched the gold medal. Since 2004 Azerbaijan won a medal at each Paralympic Games, in 2012 even two. In the semi final Gasimov defeated German Nikolai Kornhass who won his bronze bout within 45 seconds against Aramitsu Kitazono (JPN). Feruz Sayidov couldn’t stop his emotions after taking the bronze for Uzbekistan, still the leading nation with 5 medals including Thursday’s two gold medals.

Iryna Husieva had the third chance for the Ukraine U63kg, for sure a medal, but the result was silver. Dalidaivis Rodriguez was the happiest person of Cuba in the Carioca 3 with her sublime smile after she hold Husieva in oseikomi and prolonged her Olympic title achieved in London. Jin Song-Lee of Korea and Tursunpashsha Nurmetova. Rodriguez only fought two matches, in the semi she defeated Jin.

Mexico was the fourth country to cheer for Eduardo Adrian Avila Sanchez. The Olympic champion of 2008 U73kg now took the medal U81kg. Eduardo Avila won three matches and defeated Oleksandr Kosinov of the Ukraine, one of the favourites for the title that he won in 2012 in London. In the final Avila defeated Jung-Min Lee of Korea with a yuko difference after five minutes of fighting. Kosinov took bronze afterall and Rovshan Safarov took bronze for Azerbaijan.

Learn more about the winners

Inna Cherniak is the younger twin sister of Maryna Cherniak. Inna Cherniak was crowned VI world champion in 2014. She won gold at the European Games for Visually impaired athletes in Baku. In 2014 she won silver at the IBSA World Games and Judo World Championships and she won silver at the IBSA World Games in Seoul. She won silver at the European Cadet Championships in 2004. Also former multiple Ukrainian champion. She was IBSA World Ranking leader U57kg 2016, first seeded at the Paralympic Games in Rio.

Ramil Gasimov of Azerbaijan won gold at the IBSA World Championships 2014 in Colorado U73kg. In 2015 he won the IBSA European Championships in Lisbon. He took the European title for men U73kg. He won the IBSA World Cup Eger in 2015. World ranking #2 and seeded second at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. As non disabled athlete he won the Universiade in Bangkok (Student World Championships) in 2007. He won 8 World Cup medals and won the World Cup in Baku in 2006. In Rio he was quite a surprise as new Olympic champion.

Dalidaivis Rodriguez of Cuba won gold at the Paralympic Games London in 2012 U63kg and prolonged her title in Rio. She won judo silver at the 2014 IBSA World Championships in Colorado, USA.

Eduardo Avila Sanchez of Mexico won gold U73kg at his Paralympic debut at Beijing 2008 and regained the gold in Rio in 2016. At London 2012 he took bronze.U73kg. He won gold at the IBSA World Championships 2014 in Colorado. In 2015 he won bronze at the IBSA World Games in Seoul having won gold in 2014. In August 2015, he won his third Parapan American Games gold medal. He is a former multiple Mexican champion and won various regional tournaments.