Russians Fare well at Judo World Cup in Moscow

Vying for top honors with athletes from 18 countries, the Russians took 29 medals - 9 gold, 10 silver and 10 bronze - at the World Super Cup in Moscow, the new Olympic cycle's first tournament. The Russian squad was largely revamped. Promising young athletes got a chance to shine in a new sports season, and they used the opportunity.

In six weight categories, the final matches were comprised solely of Russians. Russians were in the finals in all but one weight category.

The Russian national team participated in the matches, making them very popular. In the super-heavy weight category (over 100 kg), double world title winner Alexander Mikhailin won easily over last year's winner, Uzbekistan's young Abdullo Tangriev.

The 2003 world championship bronze medallist Magomed Djafarov, defeated Russian Mikhail Verkholantsev only in overtime.

The audience cheered Athens Olympic bronze medallist Dmitry Nosov, who wrestled with a fractured arm. Dmitry failed to win top honors in Moscow, having lost to Chechen athlete Salamu Medzhidov, who won with an excellent throw.

The matches between the Russian and Japanese women were intensely fought, with two Russians beat their Japanese opponents. Muscovite Anna Davydchenko scored a clear victory over Ioriko Iosimura in the 52 kg weight category, while 19-year-old Irina Gromova from Barnaul defeated Hidemi Soda in the final match in the weight category of up to 63 kg. The Japanese women responded with Maiumi Takara's win over Natalia Samoilova (in the up to 48 kg category) and Naomi Komaki's victory over Natalia Sokolova (in the over 78 kg category).

The Russians made a good showing at the prestigious tournament: "Not all the strongest athletes came to Moscow this time, so the Russian team was not at its best. But all the reserve athletes that we decided to test in a serious competition didn't let us down. So we have good reason to be happy with the competition's results,". He noted two remaining tournaments of the World Super Cup series will be staged in Paris and Hamburg in February. The top fifth and sixth Russians will compete in France, while all the leaders of the national team will vie for honors in Germany. But the European championship in the Netherlands and the world championship in Egypt will be the main competitions for the Russians this year.