Bizarre Match-Up: Riner vs Lee 141kg vs 81kg

In the Mixed Team events, sometimes you have players who don't fight their natural weight categories. Hifumi Abe (JPN) who is normally -66kg for example, fought against Joan-Benjamin Gaba (FRA), who is normally -73kg, in the final (and lost). Natsumi Tsunoda (JPN), who is normally -48kg, fought against Sarah Leonie Cysique (FRA), who is normally -57kg, also in the final (and won).

But the biggest mismatch in terms of size was the quarterfinal match between Teddy Riner (FRA), who is normally +100kg, and Lee Joonhwan (KOR), who is normally -81kg. Riner's normal weight is around 141kg. As such, there would be about a 60kg difference between the two.

Not surprisingly, Riner won although it should be noted that Lee put up a spirited performance, attacking Riner with several drop techniques and kouchi-gake as well. Riner should be commended for not resorting to shido play or pulling Lee's head down etc. It didn't look like he tried to use brute strength to overpower him. In the end, he threw Lee for ippon using a counter technique against one of Lee's attacks.

What's interesting is not only why the Koreans decided to put Lee in there rather than Kim Minjong, a proper heavyweight, but why Lee was even allowed to compete the +90kg division when he clearly was below 90kg. It's worth pointing out that the +90kg division is not the same thing as an Open division. It's supposed to be for those who are actually above 90kg.

In the same event, in the match between Spain and Japan, Nikoloz Sherazadishvili fought Tatsuru Saito, a difference of 70kg, it was Sherazadishvili who won the contest, although Japan eventually reached the final defeating Spain in the prelims.