Japanese claim clean sweep at Judo worlds

Riki Nakaya, Aiko Sato and Misato Nakamura won their categories to take Japans record to five golds from the six categories contested so far this week.In two of the three categories of the day Japan boasted the reigning champion but although both of those failed to retain their titles, other fighters stepped up to the plate instead.World number two Nakaya ushered in a changing of the guard at under-73kg when he beat holder and compatriot Hiroyuki Akimoto in the semi-final, scoring a half-point waza-ari with an outer leg reap (osoto-gari).Before that he had produced the throw of the day in golden score in his quarter-final against Kazakhstans Rinat Ibragimov with a counter pick-up (te-guruma) that lifted Ibragimov almost to head height before he came crashing down on his back.The final pitted Nakaya against world number four Dex Elmont who had impressed all day with his shoulder throw (seoi-nage) but needed a judges decision to make the final after a scoreless semi against Frances Ugo Legrand.The final was far from a classic and it was decided on a single penalty, shown to Elmont for passivity.Legrand won hosts Frances first medal of the competition as he took bronze along with Uzbekistans Navruz Jurakobilov.Sato was another to depose a reigning champion compatriot in the semi-final of the under-57kg division as she dominated Kaori Matsumoto, who is also the world number one.The final pitted her against Brazils Rafaela Silva following a raft of shocks on the other side of the draw.Silva started those off by beating Olympic champion Giulia Quintavalle of Italy in the second round with a sukeshi counter.Germanys Miryam Roper stunned world number two and Masters champion Telma Monteiro of Portugal in the same round, catching her with an ankle tap (kosoto-gari).Matsumoto came back to earn a bronze alongside Romanias Corina Caprioriu.The womens under-52kg category ended in an all-Japanese final, just as it had done in Tokyo a year ago.But this time it was Nakamura who finished on top as she reclaimed the crown she also won in 2009.Yuka Nishida had been the favourite as world champion and world number one but produced little in a dull final that saw Nakamura score the only minor point.Spains former European champion Ana Carrascosa and Andreea Chitu of Romania took the bronze medals