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Hungry Clarisse Agbegnenou doesn’t skip World Championships and wins fifth gold
Clarisse Agbegnenou is the queen in women’s judo with five world titles U63kg. (Photo by György Horváth (HUN))
BUDAPEST, June 15, 2021 - The International Judo Federation delivered outstanding Judo World Championships from 6-13 June in Budapest. Despite all measures for athletes, coaches and all delegates to live the bubble life, the championships weren’t affected and eleven new champions were welcomed.
Some of the top players weren’t competing as the Olympic Games are 50 days after these World Championships. Both a strategical as a safety reason not to compete at IJF’s blockbuster. Let’s start with the three outstanding World Champions who were able to retain their red back patch, that world champions give that extra visual status. Japanese 2019 World Champion Joshiro Maruyama captured his second world title in a row, how sad that this top athlete won’t compete at the Olympic Games in his own Tokyo. For him Hifume Abe will represent Japan. Clearly Maruyama wanted to show what he is worth and without blinking he defeated his opponents. Japan had an awesome start… as expected at the first days with three World titles among four weight categories.
Another great champion is Jorge Fonseca of Portugal, not the biggest judo country in the world. Fonseca is a showboy, he danced his way out celebrating his second world title. Knowing this man suffered from cancer after the 2016 Olympic Games, Fonseca is a story on his own. De defeated Aleksandar Kukoljj of Serbia, a man who came out of nowhere. Well… he was the number one U90kg for two years, but moved up 10 kilograms to give space to his compatriot and 2017 World Champion Nemanja Majdov. 10kgs makes a difference and Kukolj had a hard time to get traction in this category U100kg. In fact he had not much chance to make it to the Olympics, unless he would make it to the World championships final, so he did. Now Serbia has two potential medallists and also in the women’s division Serbia really impressed with good results, they are one of the upcoming countries.
Agbenenou, queen of judo
The third world champion who was able to retain the world title is Clarisse Agbegnenou, the queen in women’s judo with five world titles U63kg and in the undisputed favourite for the Olympic title. The French woman is a star in her country, can do what she wants because she simply performs. Her study combined with top performance is like a solid marriage and Agbegnenou who lost the 2016 Olympic final is eager to claim that eternal status. She took advantage of the countless cameras in the venue and counted her world titles on her fingers while shining on the tatami.
Japan seemed to have a great team and met the expectations in the first two days, but the train was stopped on the third day when Lasha Shavdatuashvili of Georgia took the world title U73kg and not Soichi Hashimoto who took bronze. With the Japanese team he was able to win the mixed team title on Sunday though. Japan was not expected to win the U57kg category on the third day of Judo as the big clash was expected between the World number one Jessica Klimkait and World Champion Christa Deguchi who defeated her rival six times. Deguchi was the clear favourite but lost her semi final and even in her bronze medal contest. Jessica Klimkait was solid and ice cool, she ruled in her category and took the world title. The one who would end up higher would go to the Olympic Championships. What a dilemma though if Klimkait had lost to the same opponent as Deguchi, but that scenario was in the hands of Klimkait herself and she finished the final against Momo Tamaoki (JPN) in the golden score.
Belgium and Croatia celebrate titles
Belgium celebrated its first male World Champion ever. Belgium is a judo country but the women have mainly dominated the history, on day 4 in Budapest Matthias Casse changed the history by taking the title this time after he was runner-up in 2019.
Belgium wasn’t the only country with a unique champion, Croatia’s Barbara Matic surprised everyone by capturing the first title ever for her country. In Split judo fans from the whole city celebrated a great party. Matic came as preparation for Tokyo, but when she had the opportunity to map Croatia forever, she didn’t hesitate to defeat Yoko Ono of Japan in the final. That same fifth day Spaniard Nikoloz Sherazadishvili, born in Georgia, regained his 2018 World title. It was a fantastic farewell and motivation for the Spain’s tall man. He will be the number one seed in Tokyo where he will fight his last event U90kg before starting U100kg. Sherazadishvili was one of the stylists at the Worlds but classy judo and lethal uchimata hipthrow. Spain had a wonderful championship with unique medals for two lightweight on the first day. Julia Figueroa and Francisco Garrigos took bronze. Yago Abuladze of the Russian Judo Federation won that lightweight category. World number 41 Natsumi Tsunoda of Japan captured the gold U48kg. Spain added another medal on the second day by Ana Perez Box who lost the final U52kg against Ai Shishime of Japan.
Japan dominates
Insiders expected Japan on the sixth day, especially in the women’s U78kg class but Anna-Maria Wagner of Germany defeated former World Champion Mami Umeki in the final. Wagner came the first German woman to take the world title since 1993. In the men’s U100kg class Georgia was strong and both athletes took bronze, but Jorge Fonseca stole the show that day.
On the seventh and last individual day Japan was expected and they came back strong with two gold medals, making a total of five and eleven medals. Double World Champion Sarah Asahina regained the world title in an all Japan final against Wakaba Tomita. Kokoro Kageura defeated Russia’s strong man Tamerlan Bashaev. All five Japanese World Champions won’t compete at the Olympic Games. Its tells how strong Japan is and what we can expect at the Games where judo is an essential sport for the organisers. The second team of Japan took the mixed team title on the last day to demonstrate their domination in the final against France.
Some of the top players weren’t competing as the Olympic Games are 50 days after these World Championships. Both a strategical as a safety reason not to compete at IJF’s blockbuster. Let’s start with the three outstanding World Champions who were able to retain their red back patch, that world champions give that extra visual status. Japanese 2019 World Champion Joshiro Maruyama captured his second world title in a row, how sad that this top athlete won’t compete at the Olympic Games in his own Tokyo. For him Hifume Abe will represent Japan. Clearly Maruyama wanted to show what he is worth and without blinking he defeated his opponents. Japan had an awesome start… as expected at the first days with three World titles among four weight categories.
Another great champion is Jorge Fonseca of Portugal, not the biggest judo country in the world. Fonseca is a showboy, he danced his way out celebrating his second world title. Knowing this man suffered from cancer after the 2016 Olympic Games, Fonseca is a story on his own. De defeated Aleksandar Kukoljj of Serbia, a man who came out of nowhere. Well… he was the number one U90kg for two years, but moved up 10 kilograms to give space to his compatriot and 2017 World Champion Nemanja Majdov. 10kgs makes a difference and Kukolj had a hard time to get traction in this category U100kg. In fact he had not much chance to make it to the Olympics, unless he would make it to the World championships final, so he did. Now Serbia has two potential medallists and also in the women’s division Serbia really impressed with good results, they are one of the upcoming countries.
Agbenenou, queen of judo
The third world champion who was able to retain the world title is Clarisse Agbegnenou, the queen in women’s judo with five world titles U63kg and in the undisputed favourite for the Olympic title. The French woman is a star in her country, can do what she wants because she simply performs. Her study combined with top performance is like a solid marriage and Agbegnenou who lost the 2016 Olympic final is eager to claim that eternal status. She took advantage of the countless cameras in the venue and counted her world titles on her fingers while shining on the tatami.
Japan seemed to have a great team and met the expectations in the first two days, but the train was stopped on the third day when Lasha Shavdatuashvili of Georgia took the world title U73kg and not Soichi Hashimoto who took bronze. With the Japanese team he was able to win the mixed team title on Sunday though. Japan was not expected to win the U57kg category on the third day of Judo as the big clash was expected between the World number one Jessica Klimkait and World Champion Christa Deguchi who defeated her rival six times. Deguchi was the clear favourite but lost her semi final and even in her bronze medal contest. Jessica Klimkait was solid and ice cool, she ruled in her category and took the world title. The one who would end up higher would go to the Olympic Championships. What a dilemma though if Klimkait had lost to the same opponent as Deguchi, but that scenario was in the hands of Klimkait herself and she finished the final against Momo Tamaoki (JPN) in the golden score.
Belgium and Croatia celebrate titles
Belgium celebrated its first male World Champion ever. Belgium is a judo country but the women have mainly dominated the history, on day 4 in Budapest Matthias Casse changed the history by taking the title this time after he was runner-up in 2019.
Belgium wasn’t the only country with a unique champion, Croatia’s Barbara Matic surprised everyone by capturing the first title ever for her country. In Split judo fans from the whole city celebrated a great party. Matic came as preparation for Tokyo, but when she had the opportunity to map Croatia forever, she didn’t hesitate to defeat Yoko Ono of Japan in the final. That same fifth day Spaniard Nikoloz Sherazadishvili, born in Georgia, regained his 2018 World title. It was a fantastic farewell and motivation for the Spain’s tall man. He will be the number one seed in Tokyo where he will fight his last event U90kg before starting U100kg. Sherazadishvili was one of the stylists at the Worlds but classy judo and lethal uchimata hipthrow. Spain had a wonderful championship with unique medals for two lightweight on the first day. Julia Figueroa and Francisco Garrigos took bronze. Yago Abuladze of the Russian Judo Federation won that lightweight category. World number 41 Natsumi Tsunoda of Japan captured the gold U48kg. Spain added another medal on the second day by Ana Perez Box who lost the final U52kg against Ai Shishime of Japan.
Japan dominates
Insiders expected Japan on the sixth day, especially in the women’s U78kg class but Anna-Maria Wagner of Germany defeated former World Champion Mami Umeki in the final. Wagner came the first German woman to take the world title since 1993. In the men’s U100kg class Georgia was strong and both athletes took bronze, but Jorge Fonseca stole the show that day.
On the seventh and last individual day Japan was expected and they came back strong with two gold medals, making a total of five and eleven medals. Double World Champion Sarah Asahina regained the world title in an all Japan final against Wakaba Tomita. Kokoro Kageura defeated Russia’s strong man Tamerlan Bashaev. All five Japanese World Champions won’t compete at the Olympic Games. Its tells how strong Japan is and what we can expect at the Games where judo is an essential sport for the organisers. The second team of Japan took the mixed team title on the last day to demonstrate their domination in the final against France.
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