Kiyotaka Sekine shows his fighting spirit to take gold

Japanese Sekine Kiyotaka was crowned the Junior World Championships gold medallist after victory over 2015 Cadet World Championships gold medallist Simeon Catharina (NED) in the U100kg final. One-time Junior European Cup winner Sekine was the more positive judoka as he attacked relentlessly but struggled with the much larger frame of the more well-known Dutch judoka.

Golden score was summoned to produce a winner and it went Japan’s way as Sekine finally registered on the scoreboard after 17 additional seconds with a ko-uchi-makikomi which earned a waza-ari score.

In the first semi-final two-time Junior European Cup medallist Iwo Baraniewski (POL) fell to Sekine by ippon from a ko-uchi-makikomi with 48 seconds left on the clock. In the second semi-final Catharina countered a weak uchi-mata from Onise Saneblidze (GEO) for a waza-ari score after 23 seconds of golden score.

The first bronze medal was won by Saneblidze with a Georgian special as he hulked up to lift Santo Domingo Pan American Open winner Shady Elnahas (CAN) up with a gigantic ura-nage for a waza-ari score at the halfway point. Elnahas valiantly searched for a score but Saneblidze acquitted himself well and his impressive contest management skills saw him home.   

The second bronze medal was won by Baraniewski in a lively clash against two-time Junior European Cup winner Mathias Madsen (DEN). The 1st Kyu brown belt from Poland timed his score to perfection as he picked up a waza-ari score with just two seconds left on the clock from a harai-makikomi.