KIYOMI Watanabe was overwhelmed by China’s Tang Jing by ippon in her first bout in the women’s -63kg Pool D of the 2024 Paris Olympics judo competitions at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris.
The bout ended after just 51 seconds as Tang, a silver medalist at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, took down the 27-year-old Watanabe with a leg sweep on her way to the ippon.
Tang is also ranked No. 22 in the world, while Watanabe is at No. 92.
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The result had shades of her campaign in the Tokyo Olympics where Watanabe lost via ippon after 38 seconds to Cristina Cabana Perez of Spain.
The Filipina-Japanese closed her campaign in the Paris Olympics after qualifying through the continental quota, making it the second straight time that Watanabe made it to the world’s biggest sporting conclave.
Watanabe was also the flagbearer in the Tokyo Olympics alongside boxer Eumir Marcial.
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