France and Japan are poised to dominate the judo competition at the Paris Olympics, with strong contenders and anticipated challenges from other nations.
BEIJING, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Judo powerhouses Japan and host nation France are eager to win as many gold medals as possible at the Paris Olympic Games.
The judo competition will be held at the Champ-de-Mars Arena from July 27 to August 3, featuring 15 golds in seven categories each for men and women respectively, plus a mixed team event.
The host team, led by Olympic champions Teddy Riner and Clarisse Agbegnenou, is particularly strong. The emergence of French judo talents in recent years has further reinforced their competitiveness.
France bagged eight medals at the Tokyo Olympics, with two golds, three silvers and three bronzes, while French media predicted that their judokas could win five to ten medals in Paris.
Japan demonstrated its strength in judo at the Tokyo Olympics, winning nine gold medals. In Paris, judokas Hifumi and Uta Abe, both defending Olympic champions, are expected to become the first siblings in Olympic history to successfully defend their titles.
The powerhouses will also face challenges from teams including Azerbaijan, South Korea, Georgia and Mongolia, which may have a considerable impact on the medal tally.
China will send six female judokas to the Paris Olympic Games to compete in the women's 48kg, 52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 78kg and over 78kg categories.
Among them, Ma Zhenzhao, who won the women's 78kg category at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is one of the gold favorites, and so is her compatriot Xu Shiyan, who ranked fifth at the Tokyo Olympics in the over 78kg category. Besides the two veterans, others are all Olympic debutants.
Yang Yung-Wei of Chinese Taipei is currently ranked world No. 1 in the men's 60kg category and is expected to make breakthroughs in Paris. Matthias Casse of Belgium, who ranked first in the men's 81kg category, is hopeful of winning gold, as he claimed two gold medals at the IJF Grand Slam this year. ■
