Rinoko Wada opens Japanese domination day

At the end of the first category of the day, Renee Van Harselaar of the Netherlands, ranked only fifth of the last European Junior Championships, managed to reach the final against the Japanese and defending world title holder, Wada Rinoko (JPN) at the world final for women U78kg in Marrakesh.

For four minutes, the two left-handers neutralized themselves, forced to decide the winner in the Golden score. It took only a few seconds of additional time for Wada to launch an o-soto-gari which was rewarded with a waza-ari, giving a little air to the Japanese delegation at the top of the ranking by nation.

The first bronze medal contest saw the European Junior bronze medallist, Daria Kariakina (RUS) facing Christina Faber (GER), winner of the recent Bratislava Senior European Cup (Sept. 2019). Faber quickly scored a waza-ari but that was cancelled after being reviewed with the support of the video refereeing. Later on, she scored an indisputable waza-ari with a massive kochi-waza technique and only a few seconds later she doubled the mark to win the bronze medal.

It was a 100% European match for the second bronze medal in the category, as Petrunjela Pavic (CRO), a European junior bronze medalist, was opposed to Patricia Sampaio (POR), to whom the recent performances of the Portuguese athletes at the world championships in Tokyo, gave ideas of world medal. Pavic couldn't get any chance, as the Portuguese scored an impressive ippon with a powerful makikomi.