Ma Zhenzhao converts world silver into Abu Dhabi gold

China had a great day in Abu Dhabi taking two gold medals, one of them for Ma Zhenzhao won World silver in Tashkent, which means that this is her second final in a row, that she is fit. Chinese woman is very tall, when she stretches out her arm it is difficult to go looking for her. In the final she met with Natalie Powell

Despite her reach, Ma was is not more powerful than the British, rather the opposite and they both knew it. In this case it would not be a matter of physicality but of technique and strength, and Ma scored a tremendous ippon using her size, speed and refined technique. Silver in Tashkent, gold in Abu Dhabi, Ma's journey is proving very profitable.

Bronze for Kuka

For Kosovar Loriana Kuka, the price of bronze was defeating Tcheumeo. It was not a beautiful fight and Tcheumeo played with fire because she was physically superior, but she preferred to provoke Kuka's third shido. Her mistake was that because she also had two shido and there was so much waiting, so much indecision, or the decision not to attack, whatever it was, cost her the bronze.

Bronze for Olek

You know Lanir, you know she's going to come out like a hurricane. The German was also aware of what was coming her way. That was the key to the fight. The final result depended on the forcefulness of the first and the resistance of the second. Olek held up very well, Lanir didn't suffer a scandalous slump either, but the strength was no longer the same. The German shot the Israeli twice, but Lanir avoided the penalty. Instead, it was visible that physically Olek was a bit cooler. And what we had been announcing happened, a waza-ari fifteen seconds from the end when Lanir couldn't take it anymore. However, as many enjoy contradicting us, Lanir drew strength from weakness to score waza-ari five seconds later. When the physical does not give for more, it is necessary to appeal to the technique. It was a beautiful fight between two women who did not want to give up an inch of tatami. Olek won by osae-komi in what was a joint tribute to judo.

Prelims

Inbar Lanir deflated after two minutes against China's Zhenzhao Ma. Ma brought out her best judo and pinned Lanir. That's what coaches are for, to analyse the weaknesses of opponents and that's why judoka have to listen. Ma listened, executed and fought for the gold.

All our predictions therefore ended up in the rubbish bin because we had not bet on Ma, nor had we done so on Powell. The British did take advantage of Lytvynenko's stumble, beat the German Olek and got into the final.

World bronze medallist Yelysaveta Lytvynenko is eighteen years, with tall legs. She is European Junior champion and medallist in Tashkent, the Ukrainian has come to say that this closed group formed by Wagner, Hamada, Malonga and Aguiar, is not to her liking because she also wants to participate. Lytvynenko embodies the clash between generations and this is happening in Abu Dhabi.

The second favourite woman was Audrey Tcheumeo, French, a member of the generation of veterans but absent in Tashkent due to the presence of Malonga. Now that the latter doesn't seem to be back to her best form, many are wondering if Tcheumeo should be the first choice and Abu Dhabi is an excellent opportunity to validate that hypothesis. With these premises and except for an unexpected accident, they planned to face each other in the semi-finals. However, the accident occurred, one which happens to us for anticipating. Lytvynenko lost her first fight against the German Anna Monta Olek and our face was a poem. She passed in front of Tcheumeo, who was fighting right after and life was not complicated against the Slovenian Metka Lobnik. It seemed that the Frenchwoman had done the most difficult part and forgot that the British Natalie Powell was her rival in the semi-finals. The Frenchwoman did not fight at her best and lost that match, as well as an excellent opportunity to claim more attention.