Toru Shishime new frontrunner for Japan U60kg

Japan still have enough aces left, even without Naohisa Takato. New frontrunner is Toru Shishime. The -60kg weight category in Dusseldorf was difficult for the favourites as world number 1, GANBAT Boldbaatar (MGL), world number 2, Amiran PAPINASHVIL (GEO), world number 4 Orkhan SAFAROV (AZE) and world number 5 TAKATO Naohisa (JPN) were eliminated and therefore not present on the podium at the end of the day.

World number 7 and winner of the 2014 Tokyp Grand Slam, KIM Won Jin (KOR), was the first to enter the final against the other Japanese athlete of the category, SHISHIME Toru, who was not among the top eight favourites of the competition. After three minutes, only penalties were visible on the scoreboard, with two for each fighter. The third penalty given to Kim, secured the victory for SHISHIME.

The first bronze medal fight opposed IBRAYEV, Rustam (KAZ) and PAPINASHVILI, Amiran (GEO). It took less than a minute for IBRAYEV to launch a one arm sumi-gaeshi for a perfect ippon, leaving world number 2 and Moscow Grand Slam winner, PAPINASHVILI, at the bottom of the podium.

Junior world champion Francisco GARRIGOS (ESP) entered his first world judo tour final block for a place on the podium against Phelipe PELIM (BRA). Even if GARRIGOS looked more active and seemed to run nonstop throughout the fight, the first to score was the Brazilian, with a arai-makikomi for yuko. This small advantage was enough to secure the victory, but Francisco GARRIGOS definitely showed that he will be a very strong competitor in the future.