Korea, Japan and China divide the medals at Asian Oceania Championships closing day

On the last day of the Asian and Oceania Judo Championships in Bishkek (KGZ) the three Japanese participants won two of the three categories and a silver medal. China, Uzbekistan and Korea won the other three continental titles which resulted in the medal victory for Korea.

Of course all eyes went to see the performances of the Japanese Olympic prospects for a medal in Tokyo, Mukai, Wolf and Harasawa. The super heavyweight caught  the gold after he defeated Kim Min-Jong of Korea in the final. He needed three victories to claim the gold medal. Harasawa overcame Temur Rakhimov of Tajikistan in the semi final who took bronze, the second bronze was for Korea’s Kim Sung-min who lost to his older version in the semi final.

Japan hoped to win gold as well in the men’s U90kg with Shoichiro Mukai in the starting grid, but Mukai lost the final against Davlat Bobonov of Uzbekistan. Bobonov’s win wasn’t a fluke as he was also able to beat former World Champion Gwak Dong-Han of Korea in the semis. Gwak and Tajikistan’s Komronshokh Ustopiryon captured the bronze.

Aaron Wolf secured an expected gold medal U100kg. Last week he lost in Antalya to Zelym Kotsoiev, but this time he was too dominant in his division and defeated the powerful Mukhammadkarim Khurramov of Uzbekistan in the final. The men of Uzbekistan took five medals this championship. The women though  was even more remarkable with five medals as well, but on not the last day.

China and Korea were the strongest nations at day three in Bishkek with Two Chinese in the final +78kg and two Chinese women on the podium U78kg, but not on the highest podium. That position was for Korea’s Yoon Hyun-Ji who defeated Ma Zhenzhao in the final and her compatriot Lee Jeong-Yun in the semi. Ma previously bested Chen Fei in the semi final and Chen came back in the bronze medal match as well as Lee who both won bronze.

Heavyweights Xu Shiyan has some great weeks with three finals in a row in Tbilisi, Antalya and Bishkek and secured her Olympic participation. In the final she was too strong for Wang Yan. Han Mi-Jun and Kim Ha-Yun both got bronze for Korea that won the medal tally with four gold, five silver and eight bronze medals, a remarkable 17 medals in total. Uzbekistan, China and Japan took three and host nation Kyrgyzstan one gold medal.