TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s double world champion judoka Chizuru Arai advanced into the semi-finals of the Olympic competition by pinning German Giovanna Scoccimarro for a solid ippon 10-0 victory in the women’s -70 kg quarter-finals.
Arai is looking to help Japan extend a winning streak of judo gold medals to a fifth consecutive day on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old, fifth in the world rankings, won her two preliminary matches by ippon – judo’s equivalent of a knockout.
Arai will face Madina Taimazova of the Russian Olympic Committee in the semi-finals scheduled to begin from 0800 GMT.
Earlier, the Russian judoka beat Elizavet Teltsidou of Greece in her quarter-final match.
Dutch Sanne Van Dijke, the first seed and world number three, and Michaela Polleres of Austria also made it through.
In the men’s -90 kg division, Japan’s Shoichiro Mukai suffered a shock defeat by Krisztian Toth of Hungary in the last 16.
However, it was Turk Mihael Zgank, German Eduard Trippel, Russian Mikhail Igolnikov and Georgian Lasha Bekauri who all reached the semi-finals.
(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
