News
Home » Judo news
The latest Judo News offered by JudoInside.com
Tokyo Preview women U52kg: Super clash between Abe and Kelmendi
26 Aug 2019 00:05

The biggest clash at the World Championships we look out for U52kg is between current World Champion from Japan Uta Abe and double World Champion Majlinda Kelmendi of Kosovo. Both can meet in the final in Tokyo. Also 2017 World Champion Ai Shishime is in the field at seed No. 3.
Abe and Kelmendi have not fought before. It will be youth (Abe) versus experience (Kelmendi). Right-handed (Abe) vs left-handed (Kelmendi). Abe has got an advantage on the ground as she likes groundwork but Kelmendi has the advantage in the strength department. She is widely considered to be physically the strongest player in her category. Both have got immense throwing power. So it will be an interesting match for sure, if they get the chance to meet up. Without question, an Abe-Kelmendi match will be the fight of the tournament in this class.
There are lots of good players in this division including World No. 1 Amandine Buchard of France who is likely opposed to Ana Perez Box of Spain as no. 8 of the current seeding list. Swiss Evelyne Schopp is in the poule with Abe.
Belgian Charline van Snick is still able to reach the top eight and Russian Natalia Kuziutina is even considered a medal candidate. Both are probably in the same poule.
Also interesting is those who are not seeded: Italian Odette Giuffrida is always able to peak when it is the right timing to outperform. Andreea Chitu proved that she is still a big thrower. Both Brazilian girls showed that they can replace Erika Miranda, but they are not yet of that kind, but Larissa Pimenta is an outsider for a stunt.
Anja Stangar, Chelsie Giles, Gefen Primo, Alesya Kuznetsova, Fabienne Kocher are all good players, but we don’t see them reaching the top 8, but for giving a hard time to some players, you can count them in.
Related judoka and events
Related Judo Photos
Related Judo Videos
Related Judo News

Russian sport heavily penalised with four year ban by WADA
Russia is on course to have its presence and participation in international sport severely curtailed for four years, after World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) leaders today endorsed the recommendations of the Agency’s Compliance Review Committee (CRC). But the sanctions stop short of a blanket ban on Russian athletes. WADA said the decision was unanimous. The latest ban leaves the door open for Russian athletes, who can prove they are not tainted by the scandal, to compete as neutral athletes. Read more

Minimal interest for European U23 Championships in Izhevsk
Russia has a tradition in the age class U23 years. The European U23 Championships return to Russia as in 2011 in Tyumen and 2006 in Moscow the event was held in Russia. This edition will be held in Izhevsk, a city where Russian Junior Championships were held some years ago. It’s a city of over 600,000 people in the Ural where the temperature is below zero. Read more

Uta Abe keeps red back patch in the family
At Uta Abe prolonged her world title and Japan took two gold medals at the second day of the World Championships in the Budokan. Abe was simply unstoppable for the opposition from Kosovo and Russia. Read more

What happened so far at Day 2: Favourites progress
At the second day of the Judo World Championships in Tokyo the favourites have progress to the final phase. Especially in the women’s tournament all big names were able to stand the pressure. French world number one Amandine Buchard will now face Rio bronze medallist Natalia Kuziutina of Russia in the first semi-final, followed by a super clash between Majlinda Kelmendi of Kosovo and Uta Abe. Read more

Majlinda Kelmendi makes the competition U52kg hungry
It’s a long time ago since France won European gold U52kg but World Ranking leader Amandine Buchard is absolutely among the top favourites to pick up that opportunity for the first since 2011. Since that time we must admit that this weight class exploded in strength. It used to be a bit of a boring class but that changed since Majlinda Kelmendi won the World title in 2013 for the first time. Read more
9
days
Judo birthday

Koshi Nagai (JPN)
22 years
Result | City | Date |
---|---|---|
7 | Paris | 2020 |
1 | Tel Aviv | 2020 |
5 | Abu Dhabi | 2019 |
3 | Tokyo | 2019 |
7 | Ekaterinburg | 2019 |
Result | City | Date |
---|---|---|
3 | Paris | 2020 |
3 | Brasilia | 2019 |
1 | Zagreb | 2019 |
1 | Budapest | 2019 |
7 | Hohhot | 2019 |