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 European Team Championship 2003 London: Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre December 6, 2003 |
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| A competition which began back
in May in Dusseldorf, Germany, came down to a straight fight between
four teams at the Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre in London. Britain
qualified as hosts but the three formidable opponents dispatched the
likes of France, Germany and Holland to reach this stage. For the
first time since 1974 the European Team championships returned to
British shores in front of a capacity crowd. The British team arrived more in hope than expectation, despite an admirable track record in recent years including Silver medals in 1999 and 2000. But the eminence of Eastern European teams ever since the end of the 1990s has been such that the British were clear underdogs. And with the likes of Craig Fallon and Matthew Purssey missing it was always going to be a tall order to come away with anything. They were due on the mat in the second semi-final against Georgia and so had to fidget nervously for 45 minutes while Spain and Ukraine did battle for a place in the final. The Ukrainians were certainly the favourites to proceed, boasting two individual European Champions and a World Championship Bronze medallist among their ranks. But despite their impressive team on paper, it was the Spanish who gained the early advantage. Kenji Uematsu won the opening bout for the Spanish but Sergiy Morokhovets quickly levelled matters by winning the -66kg contest for Ukraine. However the tide turned in Spain’s favour at -73kg as Kioshi Uematsu edged out European Champion Gennadiy Bilodid. That was the first significant scalp for the Iberians and after Ilya Chymchyuri blitzed World semi-finalist Richard Echarte to restore parity for Ukraine, the Spanish took their second scalp. The 1996 world junior champion David Alarza totally out-gripped and out-thought Ukraine’s other European Champion, Valentyn Grekov at -90kg. That put the Spanish just one win away from a place in the final and Ivan Vega delivered in a tactical -100kg battle against Ruslan Mashurenko. Jose de Mingo was bounced for Ippon with one of the throws of the day by Yevgen Sotnikov’s huge Sode-tsuri-komi-goshi but it was not enough for the east Europeans.
Fighting with the bravado and confidence we have come to associate with Billy Cussack’s fighters, Burton approached the contest like it was do or die – and he did! David Nadharia looked like a little bunny caught in headlights when faced by Burton’s aggressive onslaught. He bowled the Georgian over for Koka with a Harai-maki-komi and quickly realised this would be the source of much success. When he scored Yuko with a second such attack, Burton found the opening he was looking for. Having bundled the Georgian to the mat he clutched Nadharia’s arm under his armpit, sat up, reached over for his opponent’s trouser leg and the hold was on – Ushiro-kesa-gatame. The 25 seconds ticked by agonisingly but Burton never looked like letting his opponent off the hook and when the buzzer sounded the stadium erupted . It was 3-1, so there was hope as another crowd favourite, Winston Gordon, strode onto the tatami for the -90kg bout. But that flicker of hope was quickly blown out as the double World Silver medallist, Zurab Zviadauri, clinched a place in the final for Georgia with two Waza-ari scores. Sam Delahay was then thrown for Ippon with Ura-nage by Iveri Jikurauli and Danny Sargent lost by Ippon to Alexsi Davidashvili from Sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi as Britain succumbed by six bouts to one. There was chance of redemption as the home nation faced Ukraine for the Bronze medal – (with the new format for the European Teams came another change, just one team takes Bronze). Again it was imperative to get off to a flying start, but once again – and despite the best efforts of the raucous crowd – the Brit’s challenge seemed to fizzle out almost before it began. Buchanan was thrown for Ippon by Morokhovets with a stooping Seoi-nage and one of the best hopes was gone. David Somerville stepped in for Warren at -66kg and exploded into life, toppling Sergiy Grechanyk with little fuss, using his compact frame to crawl under his opponent and roll him onto his back for Ippon with Kibisu-gaeshi. As he strode from the mat he pumped his arms to the crowd to raise the temperature to another level.
And so to the final. Spain rung the changes in a bid to freshen things up but the move backfired in the first two categories. Robert Cueto took over the -60kg mantle from Uematsu and was heading for a draw with Khergiani until the last 11 seconds when he conceded Koka to give the Georgians a 1-0 lead. Javier Pedro stepped in for Oscar Penas and enjoyed a brutal rumble against Margoshvili but he too came up short. The final was threatening to slip away from the Spanish until the brilliant Kioshi Uematsu stepped forward to embarrass Revazishvili, a former European Champion. Uematsu toyed with his experienced opponent before throwing him for Yuko with Tomoe-nage and then nonchalantly tripping him backwards for Ippon with Ko-uchi-gari.
So, disappointing for the British, but a thrilling afternoons judo nonetheless. « back |
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| South Pacific Games 2003 |
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MEN -60kg CHEVALIER, Cyril (NCL) -66kg DULAC, Paul (NCL) -73kg TRINDADE, de Habreud (NCL) -81kg LALLUT, Antony (TAH) -90kg BERTAND, Arnaud (TAH) -100kg PAPAI, Jerome (NCL) +100kg QEREWAQA, Nacanelli (FIJ) Open NACENELI Qerewaqa: (FIJ) Team Gold: FIJI Silver: New Caledonia Bronze: Tahiti WOMEN -48kg DULAC Helene (NCL) -52kg THOMAS Audrey (NCL) -57kg DELOTS Rosa (NCL) -63kg KADDOUR, Melissa (NCL) -70kg RASOKISOKI, Sisilia (FIJ) -78kg NAVIRI, Ana (FIJ) +78kg NAVIRI, Ana (FIJ)) Open NAISIGA Sisilia (FIJ) Team Gold: FIJI |