In the Tokyo Olympic Games, Team Germany and Republic of Korea went head to head for the second bronze medal.
Up first in the -90kg category, LEE Joonhwan (KOR) took on the Tokyo silver medallist, Eduard TRIPPEL (GER). Though the German athlete who went through a troubling time in this cycle as a result of injury, made it in to the Olympic line up in the last minute. It may have been a slightly disappointing end in the individual tournament, but in the bronze medal contest, he was first to put a point on the board for his team, first countering a ko uchi gari attempt from Lee, a sumi gaeshi giving the first waza ari score, and a second with a minute left on the clock.
KIM Hayun (KOR) in the +70kg levelled the playing field by keeping Renne LUCHT (GER) in the osae komi. This is when the Republic of Korea made their comeback. Olympic silver medallist in the +100kg KIM Minjong (KOR) then added another win, defeating Erik ABRAMOV (GER), scoring waza ari with uchi mata in the final seconds, landing in the osae komi.
Another Olympic silver medallist, -57kg HUH Mimi (KOR) continued the trend against Pauline STARKE (GER), using a sangaku roll to start the 20 second hold, readjusting herself to keep Starke in place.
In the Tokyo Olympic Games Mixed Team event, Igor WANDTKE (GER) was highlighted for his abilities, defeating the -73kg legend from Japan, ONO Shohei, and he has continued to demonstrate this. In the match point for Republic of Korea, Wandtke needed to stave off AN Baul (KOR) to keep his team in the game. The pair went in to a challenging golden score, tomoe nage and uchi mata attempts were close calls, but it was a sumi gaeshi after nine minutes of contest time that gave Wandtke the waza ari score.
The -70kg Olympic silver medallist Miriam BUTKEREIT (GER) made it 3:3 by countering a drop seoi nage attempt by KIM Jisu (KOR) a sumi gaeshi was issued waza ari, but a review by the commission changed it to ippon.
Arguably the most difficult and drawn out contest had been the -73kg category, so naturally, when this was the category drawn for the decider, the men looked in disbelief. It was the ultimate rematch, neither wanted to give the other an inch, but in doing so, Wandtke began accruing penalties, and after 5.25 fighting, a third was given to the German athlete, handing the win to Republic of Korea.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen