Images courtesy of NBC.com
Fairy tale finishes in high-level sport are often talked about, and hoped for, but rarely get written to completion. On Sunday, two of those stories were not only finished, but received emphatic exclamation points, to boot.
Here’s a look at day two of the 2016 Olympics.
Women’s Lightweight – 115 lb – 52 kg —
While the men’s medal bouts closed the show, for many, Majlinda Kelmendi winning Gold for the women in the lightweight division is the real Olympic story of the day.
In the 115 pound (52 kg) final, Kelmendi scored a strong yuko about thirty seconds into her bout against Odette Giuffrida, and was able to hold the Italian at bay for the duration, claiming the high step on the medal stand.
The medal winners, including Kelmendi (second from the left) celebrate on the medal stand.
While Kelmendi adds the ultimate crown jewel to her already a glorious trophy case, the 25 year old’s road back to Gold in the last four years has been just as notable due to some of its potholes. Hailing from the war-torn city of Pec, in western Kosovo, where the young judoka trains in poor, third-world, athletic conditions, Kelmendi showed high-level aptitude from an early age.
A favorite to medal during London’s 2012 Games, she was unceremoniously sent packing during the round of 16. There, Kelmendi competed under Albania’s flag, due to the International Olympic Committee not recognizing the state as a member until 2014. Because of that, the Rio Games are the first for the Balkan nation, whose athletes have always been forced to compete under the rule of others.
For decades, alongside Croats and Serbs, as a part of Yugoslavia. Then, after the country’s breakup, as other former members of the union formed committees and shined, without recognition, Kosovars were forced to the sidelines, or in search of other countries to represent. In past years, some were allowed to compete for Serbia (and its previous alliance state with Montenegro) provided they had Serbian blood. That unstable deal ended in 2008 when Kosovo announced its independence.
To this day, Serbia – along with over eighty other countries, widespread throughout South America, Asia and Africa – have still not recognized an independent Kosovo. According to Reuters, Serbian officials have made it clear to its athletes that they are to step down from the medal stand in protest if they were to share it with a Kosovar – despite the countries having almost no direct competitions during the Games.
Kelmendi, who began practicing at the age of eight, began Sunday’s competition with a fury seemed designed on putting London’s failure to bed early. Receiving a bye in the round of 16, the world’s second ranked 115-pounder smashed Switzerland’s Evelyne Tschopp in 25 seconds via ippon, and advanced to the quarterfinals where she also dispatched of Christianne Legentil of Mauritius. Those victories led to a high-intensity semifinal bout against Mistao Nakamura of Japan.
Ranked third in the world coming in, Nakamura, entered the semifinal off a fantastic quarterfinal against Russian Natalia Kuziutina, who took the Japanese fighter into very deep waters. It took 3:39 of golden (extra) time before Nakamura was able to gain the victory, but she showed little fatigue, if any, against Kelmendi. But, despite her best efforts, an early shido (yellow card penalty) that went against Nakamura ended up being the deciding factor. Despite the aggressiveness, Kelmendi calmly survived an attack on the ground, as well as avoided being thrown, until time expired.
Nakamura and Kuziutina during their incredibly entertaining quarterfinal scrap.
Ranked tenth in the world coming into the day, Odette Giuffrida’s path to the Gold medal bout with Kelmedni was not as rollicking – but it also wasn’t short on big moments, either.
The 21-year old blond knocked off German’s Mareen Krah during the round of 16, before scoring the biggest upset amongst all female judoka, thus far. In the quarterfinals, the Roma native shocked Romania’s Andreea Chitu – the world’s top ranked fighter at 115 pounds – to advance.
Like Kelmendi, Chitu was eliminated during 2012’s round of 16 in London, and was also a heavy favorite to medal in Rio. Those hopes went out the window when Chitu was defeated in the repechage (loser’s bracket, which decides the bronze medal match opponents) by the world’s number four woman, Erika Miranda of Brazil. Miranda had been also been upset during the quarterfinals, hers by the hands of China’s Ma Yingnan.
Yingnan advanced to the semifinals, facing Giuffrida, who eked out an effective, but relatively unimpressive, victory – one which seemed to have her Chinese opponent visibly frustrated with what she believed to be unpenalized stalling tactics.
The loss sent Yingnan, 32, into the second Bronze medal matchup against Russia’s Kuziutina, 27, who capped her own fairy tale run by throwing her Chinese opponent, staying in dominant top control, and holding her down until the bout was stopped.
Kuziutina smothers Yingnan en route to her Bronze medal victory.
In the first Bronze medal match, Japan’s Nakamura and Brazil’s Miranda were both looking for tournament redemption. After a slow start, both picked it up towards the end of the round. Miranda attempted an armbar late in regulation but Nakamura avoided, and the two went into golden scoring time.
An incredibly loud Brazilian crowd, that had been cheering Miranda on, was instantly silenced at 2:20 of extra time. Nakamura sat down on an attempted throw attempt, and delivered an Ouchi Gari (an inside leg sweep done from Nakamura’s lead leg), staying on top, to claim the Bronze.
Nakamura throwing Nakamura to win the Bronze medal during golden score.
It was a very bittersweet win for the 27-year old, as this looked to be her last run at an Olympic Gold. The three-time, defending, World Champion also won a Bronze in Beijing during 2008’s Games, and was expected to win Gold in 2012. Instead, she was sent packing immediately after a loss in the round of 16.
Women’s 115 lb2 kg Final Medal Standings:
Gold: Majlinda Kelmendi (KOS)
Silver: Odette Giuffrida (ITA)
Bronze: Misato Nakamura (JAP)
Bronze: Natalia Kuziutina (RUS)
Men’s Lightweight – 146 lb – 66 kg —
Not to be outdone by Kelmendi and Giuffrida, the men’s lightweight division also had a few storybook moments, as well as possibly creating a new star for the sport. And, like Giuffrida, it’s a 21-year old Azzurri member, to boot.
Fabio Basile celebrates his lightweight Gold medal victory – WITH ABS~! (And a failed backflip.)
At only 5’3” and 21-years old, Fabio Basile had one of the biggest days of any Olympian, on Sunday, claiming the men’s 146 pound (66 kg) Gold medal, with a victory over South Korea’s An Baul.
The shortest judoka in his class, yet possibly the most exciting, Basile scored a shocking ippon 84 seconds into regulation time to win the Gold medal. Baul came into the contest the top ranked fighter in his class.
Basile scores an ippon over Baul to win the 2016 Gold medal at 66kg.
Incredibly aggressive throughout the tournament, after the bout Basile attempted a backflip (which he didn’t quite land), ripped open his gi, howled to the crowd, made Stone Cold Steve Austin beer-drinking hand motions, and mugged for the camera. The English announce team pondered if the International Judo Federation would judge the youngster’s antics, but if his charisma and skills in Rio are any indication, his shining star should be well on the ascension into the heavens, in one of the most popular international niche sports.
To get to the final, Basile had defeated Slovakia’s Adrian Gomboc in one semifinal, while Baul had knocked off Masashi Ebinuma of Japan in the other.
Earlier, during the quarterfinals, Basile knocked off world number two, Davaadorjiin Tomorkhuleg of Mongolia. That sent the Mogol into the repechage, where he was stunned by the 20th ranked judoka in the world, Antoine Bouchard of Canada.
Mentioned earlier, Gomboc’s name is notable, because he’s the name you need to draw backwards from to get to the biggest upset of the day – and possibly the entire Games.
Taking place in the men’s division round of 32, 112th-ranked Mathews Punza of Zambia shocked the world’s 146 pound number six, Golan Pollack of Israel. Punza threw Pollack, and was able to hold him down for 20 seconds, causing the bout to be waved off. Punza would go on to lose to Adrian Gomboc in the round of 16.
The 21-year old Gomboc continued to take advantage of his opportunities, defeating Canada’s Bouchard in the quarterfinals, before losing to Basile. As a result of the loss, he would go on to the second Bronze medal matchup with Rishod Sobirov of Uzbekistan, where he was tapped out.
Hovering around (or just out) of the IJF’s top ten, the soon-to-be 30 year old Uzbek won his third consecutive Olympic Bronze medal.
Sobirov taps out Gomboc to win his third Olympic Bronze medal
In the other Bronze medal bout, Japan’s Ebinuma ended the hopes of Bouchard, in a battle of left handed stances. A slow start had Bouchard needing to be aggressive towards the end of the contest, to try and steal a score. But, Ebinuma was able to use his determination against him by utilizing a shoulder throw to clinch the victory.
Men’s 146 lb/66 kg Final Medal Standings:
Gold: Fabio Basile (ITA)
Silver: An Baul (KOR)
Bronze: Masashi Ebinuma (JAP)
Bronze: Rishod Sobirov (UZE)