Tiny Umekita surprises Olympic elite U48kg at Universiade

Japan gave full power at the last day of the Universiade in Taipei and the gold medals for Taikoh Fujisaka and Mai Umekita contributed to the victory of Japan in the medal table.

Tiny Mai Umekita of Japan, the 2015 World Cadet Champion secured the gold after she bested Gabriela Chibana of Brazil in the Universiade final. A well organized tournament, with comparable Olympic atmosphere of the well dressed up venue. In this category U48kg quite some surprises as Umekita defeated Olympic bronze medallist Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh in second round of the tournament. However this event has a double repechage and Kazakh Galbadrakh fought back in the repechage and grabbed bronze. In the semi final Umekita bested Olympic runner-up Jeong Bo-Kyeong. The top athletes reached the medal fights afterall and took bronze. Umekita is just another candidate to follow up the elite athletes in Japan, Kondo and Tonaki.

Fujisaka is 21 years and develops well, earlier this year he won the European Open in Rome and on Wednesday in Taipei he defeated his five opponents all by ippon including Kazakh Rustam Ibrayev in the semi final and Vincent Limare of France in the final. Fujisaka didn’t have an easy ride. In the quarter final Albert Oguzov (RUS) was set aside, Oguzov finished with bronze afterall as well as Ibrayev.

In the Open category for women Korean Kim Ji-Young defeated Akari Inoue. Lithuanian Santa Pakenyte won another medal this Universiade, also bronze for Azhela Gasparian of Russia. In the men's category there was gold for Hyoga Ota of Japan, the third gold medal for Japan at day 4. Ota defeated Juhan Mettis of Estonia in the final. Musa Tumenov (RUS) and Ruan Isquierdo of Brazil won bronze.