Ryoko Tani in the heaviest of the two judo poules

The Olympic champion and six times world champion Ryoko TANI will have to face Greek Maria Karagiannopoulou in her first match. Tani has fought 40 matches at World and Olympic Championships and only lost one, against Sun-Hui Kye in Atlanta’s final in 1996.

Lioubov BRULETOVA, Sydney’s runner up is put in the same poule with Tani. She became European champion in 2003 and won three European A-tournament medals this year.

Alina DUMITRU (ROM), the current European Champion is only 21 years young and lost against TANI in Osaka. But she doesn’t think TANI is the most strong, “she is the most technical player” DUMITRU said. She might face her in the semi final.

The Cubans have always had strong lightweight competitors, but this time they will bring the less experienced Yamila ZAMBRANO who surprisingly qualified because of Danieska CARRION, who won the bronze in Osaka, eloped to the States earlier this year. ZAMBRANO nevertheless won the Panam Championships. She has to win African Champion Haddad first.

Osaka’s finalist Frederique JOSSINET will definitely be a strong contender of TANI again. The double European Champion of 2001 and 2002 is put in the same poule as Giussepina Macri.
Chinese Feng GAO can be an outsider. She finished fifth at the World Championships in Osaka but can beat the strongest.

Osaka’s other number three, Turkish Nese SENSOY didn’t show any impressive results since she qualified in September.