Inoue retirement overshadows Japan's judo squad
Reuters
, Wednesday April 30 2008
TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) - The retirement of former Olympic champion Kosei Inoue has cast a cloud over the composition of Japan's judo squad for the Beijing Olympics.
The 2000 Sydney gold medallist retired after failing to qualify for August's Beijing Games at the national championships in Tokyo on Tuesday when Japan's squad was finalised.
"I have no regrets," the three-times 100 kgs world champion said on Wednesday. "People have been coming up to me and thanking me but I should be saying 'thank you' to them."
Satoshi Ishii booked the final spot on Japan's team for Beijing with victory over fellow heavyweight Keiji Suzuki, giving Japan representatives in all 14 weight classes in China.
Japan won eight gold medals in judo at the 2004 Athens Olympics, half of the country's overall haul of 16 golds, with the country's female judoka winning five titles.
Much of the focus will be on twice Olympic champion Ryoko Tani, who has qualified for her fifth successive Games and first since becoming Japan's most famous sporting mother in 2005.
Triple Olympic champion Tadahiro Nomura was another who missed out and he too may quit the sport following surgery to repair damaged knee ligaments.
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Squad:
Men
Reuters
, Wednesday April 30 2008
TOKYO, April 30 (Reuters) - The retirement of former Olympic champion Kosei Inoue has cast a cloud over the composition of Japan's judo squad for the Beijing Olympics.
The 2000 Sydney gold medallist retired after failing to qualify for August's Beijing Games at the national championships in Tokyo on Tuesday when Japan's squad was finalised.
"I have no regrets," the three-times 100 kgs world champion said on Wednesday. "People have been coming up to me and thanking me but I should be saying 'thank you' to them."
Satoshi Ishii booked the final spot on Japan's team for Beijing with victory over fellow heavyweight Keiji Suzuki, giving Japan representatives in all 14 weight classes in China.
Japan won eight gold medals in judo at the 2004 Athens Olympics, half of the country's overall haul of 16 golds, with the country's female judoka winning five titles.
Much of the focus will be on twice Olympic champion Ryoko Tani, who has qualified for her fifth successive Games and first since becoming Japan's most famous sporting mother in 2005.
Triple Olympic champion Tadahiro Nomura was another who missed out and he too may quit the sport following surgery to repair damaged knee ligaments.
- - -
Squad:
Men
60kg: Hiroaki Hiraoka
66kg: Masato Uchishiba
73kg: Yusuke Kanamaru
81kg: Takashi Ono
90kg: Hiroshi Izumi
66kg: Masato Uchishiba
73kg: Yusuke Kanamaru
81kg: Takashi Ono
90kg: Hiroshi Izumi
100kg: Keiji Suzuki
100+kg: Satoshi Ishii
Women
48kg: Ryoko Tani
52kg: Misato Nakamura
57kg: Aiko Sato
63kg: Ayumi Tanimoto
70kg: Masae Ueno
78kg: Sae Nakazawa
52kg: Misato Nakamura
57kg: Aiko Sato
63kg: Ayumi Tanimoto
70kg: Masae Ueno
78kg: Sae Nakazawa
78+kg: Maki Tsukada
(Reporting by Alastair Himmer, editing by Greg Stutchbury)
(Reporting by Alastair Himmer, editing by Greg Stutchbury)
FONTE: guardian.co.uk - UK
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