Tsunoda completes collection; Masterclass from Murao

Spaniard Ai Tsunoda Roustant reached the senior summit for the first time in the women’s -70 kg, while Sanshiro Murao of Japan delivered a demonstration of technical mastery to dominate the men’s -90 kg category for the second year in a row at the World Judo Championships in Baku.

Double Olympic medallist Michaela Polleres and the ever-dangerous Tsunoda came out on top in the preliminaries but a prediction for the -70kg crown was still precarious, such was the quality of judo from both, even if the styles were different.

Polleres was Austria’s first world championship finalist since Ludwig Paischer won silver in Cairo in 2005. For Tsunoda, the national element was less urgent and with Spain have already having a fantastic liaison in Baku with two silvers and a bronze in hand.

This was a kumi-kata study for judoka of the future; so different but also so capable against each other’s preferred positions, they gave everything to stop gripping being their downfall. As they blocked each other out while still managing to attack, the first penalties came. Either looked capable of taking the win but it was Tsunoda’s day.

It took just over seven-minutes for the last penalty to arrive at Polleres’ door. Spain had a new world champion and Austria could be proud of yet another huge medal being won by Polleres.

After the final, Ai Tsunoda Roustant spoke about her day, “Winning this world title is an incredible feeling. The final was extremely close and difficult but I kept fighting until the very end. I knew I had to give everything I had.

My family has played an essential role in my career, especially my father, with whom I have trained for so many years. My mother, my brother and my husband have also been incredibly important. We have shared so much both on and off the tatami and I am deeply grateful to all of them.”

Murao the Maestro

The -90 kg category had everything a great blockbuster needs: drama, rivalries, young blood on the up, twists, action and heroes. A long rivalry between Lasha Bekauri and Murao was a big part of the storyline but Murao ended that chapter in the morning session ready to concentrate on the medals.

Murao was untouchable all day and despite facing another world champion and compatriot, he continued in the same way in the final.

He opened the scoreline with a waza-ari, countering a tentative attack from Tajima. Going straight back to his line, he took a deep breath and moved in to answer any question about his ability to win. A ko-soto-gari for ippon sealed the deal for Murao to keep the red back patch exactly where it is for another year.

After the final, Sanshiro Murao said, “My objective coming to Baku was clear; I wanted to become world champion again and I am delighted to have achieved it.”

“I prepared thoroughly for this competition, particularly for my contest against Lasha Bekauri. I knew how important that fight could be and developed specific tactical solutions to face him. Those solutions were part of a broader strategy that I have worked on carefully. Defeating him was an important part of my journey towards the title, but my ultimate ambition was to become world champion. That was my goal from the beginning and today I proved that I was capable of achieving it.”