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August 15, 2016 OLYMPICS Japan sweeps judo golds at Rio Olympics in middleweights It’s gold again in diving for China at Rio Olympics By Beth Harris By Maria Cheng AP Sports Writer The Associated Press R IO DE JANEIRO — Japan swept the judo gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olym- pics, taking the top spot in both men’s and women’s middleweight divisions. Haruka Tachimoto struck gold first by defeat- ing triple world champion Yuri Alvear in the women’s 70-kilogram division. Despite being penalized for passivity in the first minutes of the final — and a partisan crowd cheering against her — Tachimoto managed to pin Alvear to the ground for 20 seconds, scoring an ippon victory that automatically ends the bout. Alvear, 30, won a bronze at the London Olympics. She was Colombia’s flag bearer at the opening cere- mony. After a disappointing seventh-place finish at the London Games, Tachimoto said she refocused her style, training in Mongolia and England, and honing a more defensive, counter- attacking style that she used to defeat Alvear. The women’s bronze medals were won by Britain’s Sally Conway and Germany’s Laura Vargas Koch. A short time after the women’s medal competi- tion ended, Japan’s Mashu Baker took the judo gold in the men’s 90-kilogram divi- sion. The second-seeded Bak- er, 21, defeated Georgia’s Varlam Liparteliani in a cagey final in which Baker managed to score only IO DE JANEIRO — China easily won its second gold medal in diving at the Rio Olympics, dominating the men’s 10-meter synchro- nized event while showing the rest of the world how to barely make a splash. Chen Aisen and Lin Yue totalled 496.98 points, cruising to victory by 39.87 points. American teammates David Boudia and Steele Johnson took silver at 457.11. Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow of Britain rallied to claim bronze in 445.45. “We did our best, but I don’t think it was perfect,” Lin said. Chen and Lin were especially impressive on their final two dives, totalling the most points of any team in both rounds. China, the United States, and Britain all performed the same dive in the fifth round, a forward 4 1/2 somersaults tuck that carries one of the highest degrees of difficulty. The Americans went first, scoring 85.47 points. China was next, with Chen and Lin putting on a clinic with a score of 106.56. They plunged into the water off the 33-foot tower with very little splash and earned a perfect 10 for synchroniza- tion. Daley and Goodfellow went last, scoring 92.13 and good enough to move the Brits from fifth to third after the German duo of Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein performed a less difficult dive that earned fewer points and dropped them to fourth. “Going into the last round there is always pressure. When it’s the Olympics, multiply that by a million,” Daley said. “It THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9 R DIVINE DIVING. China’s Lin Yue, bottom, and Chen Aisen, compete in the men’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving final at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) was windy, it was cold, and London, Boudia earned we were two points behind bronze in platform synchro with a different partner the Germans.” In the last round, the and gold in the individual Americans and Chinese did 10-meter competition. “One of every color,” the same dive, a back 2 1/2 somersaults with 2 1/2 Boudia said. “I’ve never felt twists pike only slightly so content and so calm. less difficult than their You’re at the Olympic previous one. Games with millions of Boudia and Johnson people watching you, so it’s went first, scoring 95.04 a pretty good feeling.” points with marks as high Johnson, a 20-year-old as 9.0. Chen and Lin did diver at Indiana Univer- even better, hitting the wa- sity, was clearly thrilled ter in unison and being re- with winning a medal in his warded with 9.5s and 9.0s. Olympic debut. He and Lin earned his first gold Boudia shared a watery in the event since 2008, hug after their final dive, when he and Huo Liang knowing they had clinched teamed to win the synchro a spot on the podium. platform in their home Johnson then covered his country. He didn’t compete eyes with his hand and in the event four years ago couldn’t stop smiling. in London. In 2009, Johnson struck With lots of Chinese flags his head on the platform and fans in the stands, the and was saved from crowd booed heartily when bleeding out by his coach, it saw the judges’ marks for who jumped in the pool and Chen and Lin in the fourth held his head together. He round. Fans didn’t think received 33 stitches and a the scores ranging from 8.0 tube in his head to drain to 8.5 were nearly high the chlorine. enough, but it hardly “It all worked out in the mattered. end,” Johnson said, the “The mistake we made is silver medal around his that we had a little bit of neck. “The fact that I’m still hesitation during our alive is just more than I can jump, so we did not handle ask for.” it very well,” Lin said. Chen and Lin were in front from the start of the six-round final and never faltered. Boudia and Johnson controlled second place throughout, leaving only the bronze medal up for grabs. Four years ago in FIRST-RATE FLIPPING. Haruka Tachimoto of Japan, in white, competes against Kelita Zupancic of Canada during the women’s 70- kilogram judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Japan swept the judo gold medals in Rio, taking the top spot in both the men’s and women’s middleweight divisions. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) once. Like Tachimoto, he attacked by Liparteliani. Liparteliani was seeded too was booed by the crowd, which expressed disap- fifth and fought at the proval that Baker ap- London Olympics, but was peared to be withdrawing knocked out in the second from the fight in its final round. The loss left him in minutes. But with tears; he struggled to main- Liparteliani failing to tain his composure through score, Baker’s one throw the medal ceremony. The men’s bronze medals was enough to win. Baker, whose father is were won by South Korea’s Gwak and American, trained at the Donghan Kodokan, the spiritual China’s Xunzhao Cheng. Japan’s two golds put the home of the Japanese mar- tial art and its most famed country atop the judo dojo after starting judo at medal table, adding to the age six. Baker has won four gold already won by Shohei judo Grand Slam titles and Ono in the men’s 73-kilo- took a bronze at last year’s gram division. Although world championships. He Japan dominated for years was raised by his mother in at the Olympics in the Japan and said he was martial art it developed, dedicating his gold medal the country had its worst to her. She travelled with performance at the London Games, where it won only him to Rio. “To be an Olympic cham- one gold. “We have to perform gra- pion was my dream when I was young, so I’m very ciously and courageously happy now,” he said. Baker because Japan is the home acknowledged that he of judo,” Tachimoto said af- fought defensively in the ter her win. “Judo is one of latter part of the fight, the most important sports seeking to protect his slight to the Japanese people, and lead by not risking being they expect gold medals.” Are yo u a re ta ile r in Multnoma h County tha t se lls toba c c o a nd/o r nic otine produc ts? If so, did you know: • Sta rting July 1, 2016, yo u a re re q uire d to ha ve a lic e nse to se ll to b a c c o a nd nic o tine p ro d uc ts. • Ap p lic a tio ns a va ila b le no w a t: mc he a lthinspe c t.o rg Fo r mo re info rma tion ple a se c onta c t: hlth.to b a c c o .p re ve ntio n@ multc o .us o r 503-988-4163