Japan shocked by judo medal failures
Japan's judo coaches have admitted their Olympic Games team has
performed below expectations after claiming just one gold medal over the
first four days of competition.
Kaori Matsumoto's win in the under-57kg division on Monday remains
their only title after eight of the 14 categories while the men have yet
to claim a single gold.
Japan's tally of one gold, two silver and two bronze is far lower
than they are used to achieving.
By this same stage in Beijing four years ago they had won two golds,
one each for men and women, as well as two bronze.
They ended that competition with four gold, one silver and two bronze
and although they topped the medals table it was considered a disaster
back in Japan.
At last year's World Championships in Paris they had five gold, three
silver and a bronze by this stage as they dominated the lightweight
divisions.
In fact it was in those lighter divisions -- particularly the women's
categories -- where they expected to dominate.
At last year's Worlds they provided both finallists in the women's
under-48kg and under-52kg divisions but at the Games they failed to win
a medal in either.
"It's very severe, we wanted two gold medals at least by now," said
women's coach Isamu Sonoda, himself an Olympic champion in 1976 in
Montreal.
"In particular we thought we could get gold medals in the under-48kg
and under-52kg categories but we didn't win any medals at all." That was
particularly galling as double world under-48kg champion Haruna Asami
and world under-52kg leader Yuka Nishida were left at home.
It's not as though Japan were not relying on talented fighters,
though, as they brought world number one at under-48kg Tomoko Fukumi and
world under-52kg champion Misato Nakamura.
The biggest risk was perhaps Matsumoto as she only won bronze in
Paris last year whereas Aiko Sato took gold.
But Matsumoto is the only Japanese to have delivered gold in London.
And she recognised after her victory the importance of her medal for
the team's morale.
"I was able to get gold on behalf of my colleagues Fukumi and
Nakamura so I'm very happy," she said.
"There was indeed pressure but I did what I wanted to do along the
way and I think that helped me to get this medal." Japan'a coaches have
been coy about their expectations, barely speaking to the press, not
wishing to pile the pressure on their fighters.
Following her bronze in the under-63kg division on Tuesday, Yoshie
Ueno revealed the coaches have not expressed their feelings to the
fighters.
"The number of medals we have are still in the lower range but the
coaches have not said anything in particular about that, and we've still
got tomorrow," she said.
The situation for the men is more drastic with Hiroaki Hiraoka and
Riki Nakaya winning silver in the under-60kg and under-73kg respectively
and Misashi Ebinuma taking bronze at under-66kg.
Yet between them they won two golds and a silver in Paris last year.
"It's very tough, we wanted at least one gold by Monday," said men's
coach Shinichi Shinohara, a heavweight silver-medallist in Sydney 12
years ago. AFP |