+78kg: Tomita Completes the Japanese Collection

At the bottom of the draw, it was the Japanese Wakaba Tomita, junior world champion in 2015, who faced Hayun Kim (KOR) for a place in the final and it was the Japanese who would finally face Hershko. Before that, she had won ahead of Jia Wen Tsai (TPE), with a beautiful sode-tsuri-komi-goshi, concluded on the floor, and against Nominzul Dambadarjaa (MGL), after a long golden score which she ended with an opportunistic shime-waza.

With one shido to her name as the final was progressing through golden score, Hershko gave some first signs of tiredness. She nevertheless kept attacking. Her last attacks were actually quite strong but as she missed them, she landed on her knees and had that absent moment that offered an opportunity for Tomita to turn her over and pin her down for ippon.

Korea came strongly in the first match for a bronze medal with Hyeonji Lee (KOR) vs Hayun Kim (KOR). The bronze went to the latter. She scored a first waza-ari and concluded by pinning down her teammate for ippon.

The second confrontation for a bronze medal was also a national confrontation but this time between the two Mongolian judoka, Nominzul Dambadarjaa and Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan. After Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan received her third penalty, the victory went to Nominzul Dambadarjaa.