Japan shines as Tanaka claims -70kg gold and Murao triumphs in all-Japanese -90kg final
It's Day 5 in Budapest at the OTP Bank World Judo Championships and the action rolls on.
At -70kg, Lara CVJETKO is no stranger to World finals, but this time she was out for gold. The Croatian judoka returned to the big stage with more experience, greater composure, and a renewed hunger to stand on the top of the podium. CVJETKO looked like an athlete on a mission – ready to turn silver into gold.
Her opponent was Shiho TANAKA – a world bronze medallist herself. She had confidently worked her way through the draw. Each contest saw her judo sharpen, her intent clearer. This was her chance to move up the podium and she stepped onto the tatami with gold firmly in her sights.With both athletes hungry for their first World title, the final was set for a high-level showdown. A golden score yuko from TANAKA was the decider. The Japanese judoka rose from the tatami as a World Champion.
It's my third shot at the World Championships and I finally got the gold so I'm really happy and relieved.
Hungary Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade Mr Péter SZIJJÁRTÓ awarded the medals.
At -90kg, Sanshiro MURAO was on fire, ippon in every contest on his way to the gold medal match. An amazing run through the preliminaries, with a dominant performance, had the judo world watching closely. Each match was a showcase of control, timing and explosive technique.
MURAO looked unstoppable, was this finally his year to take the top of the podium and find his place among judo's elite?Facing him was his team-mate, reigning World Champion Goki TAJIMA who despite the pressure of defending his title, worked his way through the preliminaries. As the stakes rose, so did his judo with an outstanding semi-final ippon. He was finding his rhythm at the right moment, but was it enough to become a two time World Champion?
In the final the two Japanese judoka took the contest to golden score. It was a tense, tactical fight. The victory was MURAO's, he would leave Budapest as World Champion.
It was my dream to one day become World Champion since I started judo as a kid and I can't believe it's real right now.
North Macedonia Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade Mr Timčo MUCUNSKI awarded the medals.
See you tomorrow for more Judo!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pep Guardiola told to sign out-of-favour Barcelona captain for Manchester City
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is staring at an uncertain future at Barcelona, despite his insistence that he is under contract and has no plans to leave. Barcelona's commitment to new signing Joan Garcia, alongside the expected contract renewal of Wojciech Szczesny, places the 33-year-old German international in a difficult position. Advertisement Flick is leaning toward giving the No. 1 shirt at Barcelona to Garcia with Szczesny as his backup, leaving Ter Stegen out of favour. Lothar Matthaus advises Man City to sign Ter Stegen Amidst this unfolding situation, German legend Lothar Matthaus has advised Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to sign Ter Stegen to replace Ederson in their goal. 'I don't know what Manchester City are planning, but I don't think they are very happy with Ederson. I think Ter Stegen could definitely be a goalkeeper for the Cityzens for the next three or four years,' he told Sky Germany (h/t SPORT). Discussing his compatriot's difficult situation at Barça, the former Germany captain added: Advertisement 'The situation is unpleasant for him. He has returned in good shape after a long injury and has shown, especially in the Nations League against France, that he is still a world-class goalkeeper at 33 years of age.' However, he acknowledged that Barcelona are well within their right to move to a younger goalkeeper like Garcia, saying: 'Garcia is nine years younger, is already part of the Spanish national team and is expected to play for them in the future. 'A club is within its rights to say that for the future it will go for a younger goalkeeper who can also cost less in wages.' What next for Ter Stegen? (Photo by) Advertisement Matthaus stated that he believed Barcelona were not dictating Hansi Flick's choices as far as the goalkeeping spot is concerned but insisted that the manager had shown he still trusted Ter Stegen. 'I don't know how Barça will act, whether Hansi Flick will be instructed to play the new goalkeeper,' he said. 'I could imagine that Hansi has spoken internally in favour of Ter Stegen. Why would a coach be against a very good goalkeeper? Flick used Ter Stegen in La Liga at the end of last season. That shows that he trusts him.' Still, Matthaus noted that the club 'also has its interests,' and if Barcelona back Garcia, 'it could become a dangerous situation for Ter Stegen,' potentially leading to a point where 'Julian Nagelsmann can no longer justify calling him up if he is only on the bench at Barcelona.' Advertisement For this reason, Matthaus believes that with Szczesny likely to renew, 'I suppose Ter Stegen will leave Barcelona.' Addressing the interest shown by Galatasaray in the German shot-stopper, the legend added: 'Galatasaray have shown their ambitions with the signing of Sané and will play in the Champions League next season. 'There are also six clubs in England who will play in the Champions League next season, and not all of them have such a strong goalkeeper to say: 'Ter Stegen would not be a reinforcement for us.''
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jets owner Woody Johnson buys stake in Premier League's Crystal Palace
Woody Johnson is going international. The New York Jets owner has become a familiar face across the pond in recent years, having previously served as the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom during President Donald Trump's first administration. As the NFL's international marketing rights have expanded, teams began vying for exclusive shares of specific markets. Advertisement Johnson's Jets were awarded marketing rights to the UK, making it the green-and-whites' second home under the NFL Global Markets program. Eight other teams have those rights. Now Johnson is digging into the world's game, buying a stake in the Premier League's Crystal Palace. The move was announced by the soccer team on Monday, with ESPN reporting the 43% stake owned by John Textor was sold to Johnson for $254 million. 'Whilst the completion is pending approval from the Premier League and Women's Super League, we do not envisage any issues and look forward to welcoming Woody as a partner and director of the club,' the club said in a statement. Advertisement The sale will have to pass the league's Owners and Directors' Test, something that isn't expected to be a problem. Johnson bought the Jets for $635 million in 2000, an NFL record at the time. He now adds a second professional sports franchise to his portfolio, a trend that is becoming increasingly commonplace across pro sports. Johnson is set to join a Crystal Palace ownership group that includes Washington Commanders owners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer – who each own 18% of the club. The Jets owner previously attempted to buy Chelsea F.C. in 2022, noting he became a fan of the team during his time as ambassador. Now it appears Johnson will be trading in his Chelsea blue for Palace's red-and-blue. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crystal Palace ownership: New York Jets' Woody Johnson buys stake
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Schedule, Bracket: Dates, times, scores
The UEFA Women's Euro 2025 kicks off July 2 and runs through the final on July 27. Sixteen national teams from across Europe will compete for the continental title in stadiums across Switzerland, the tournament's host nation. Keep reading for the full match schedule, including dates and times: Here are the key dates for the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 tournament: Below you can find the date and time for each game. The 2025 UEFA Women's EURO will be available to watch live on Disney+, marking the platform's first exclusive coverage of a major European football tournament. All matches from the 2025 Women's EURO will be available to stream via Disney+. A subscription is required to access live broadcasts and replays.
