Women's under 70kg

Avtor: Barnaby Chesterman
Datum: 11. 09. 2005


This was supposed to be a procession for the new Olympic and twice world champion Masae Ueno of Japan. Indeed, only the Netherlands' Bosch was expected to challenge the woman who has reigned supreme for the last four years in her division. But Ueno, who thought about retiring after her victory in Athens, was not the fighter of a year ago. Having taken time off after the Olympic triumph, she looked far from match sharp and lasted only the first round. Slovenia's Rasa Sraka, the European champion two years ago, proved an awkward and stubborn opponent and edged her out by a penalty. That totally opened up the draw, leaving a European quartet to contest the semi-finals. Bosch took on Ukraine's Maryna Pryschepa while Sraka faced Gevriese Emane of France.

Emane was something of a surprise semi-finalist, having only recently broken into the top ranking in her country. But she looked confident and hungry in this company and caused a shock by felling Sraka. Emane scored ippon with morote-gari. That put her into the final in her first season in international competitions, a fine achievement. But it would get tougher in the final as Bosch squeezed past Pryschepa by yuko. The twice European champion has been getting closer to winning a global title, having won bronze in the Osaka worlds two years ago and then reaching the final in Athens. Both times she lost to Ueno but having beaten her old adversary in the Tournoi de Paris final earlier this year, she would have been feeling confident. The final was not a classic as the pair were evenly matched but Bosch just nicked by a penalty, using her greater experience to good effect. Sraka managed to seal a first medal at this level, dominating Germany's Anett Boehm, throwing her for yuko with a drop seoi-nage and then pinning her for ippon. Belgium's Catherine Jacques demonstrated the marked improvement in her form this year, taking little time to force a submission from Pryschepa with a strangle for her first gong at this level.
Barnaby Chesterman
BarnabyJudo@aol.com