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Japan’s judo queen Tani to skip Fukuoka tournament
27 Nov 2004 15:50
AFP
A sore ankle will force Japan's multiple Olympic and world champion Ryoko Tani (above pic) out of the prestigious women's judo championships in her home town of Fukuoka next month, organisers said yesterday. The six-time world 48kg bantamweight champion, 29, who retained her Olympic crown in Athens in August, has yet to recover fully from an injury to her left ankle suffered before the Olympics, they said.
With Olympic 63kg light middleweight gold medalist Ayumi Tanimoto also sidelined by injury, Japan's campaign at the Dec 11-12 tournament will be spearheaded by Maki Tsukada, the Olympic over-78kg heavyweight champion.
Masae Ueno, who won the 70kg middleweight gold in Athens, will also take part in the Fukuoka Cup, one of the world's top women's judo contests.
Frederique Jossinet of France, who lost to Tani in the Athens final, and North Korea's Kye Sun Hui, the Olympic 57kg lightweight silver medallist, will be among foreign standouts in Fukuoka.
Kye beat Tani in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic 48kg final.
Judo powerhouse Cuba will be absent from Fukuoka as the event clashes with a domestic contest, the organisers said.
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Gideon Van Zyl
South Africa
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