Liaoning Overwhelms Games' Judo Events

Home>>Sports

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 20, 2001

Liaoning Overwhelms Games' Judo Events

The ongoing 9th National Games' four-day judo events winded up Monday in Zhongshan city of Guangdong Province with the country's judo power Liaoning of Northeast China sweeping 7 out of the total 16 gold medals.

In the last day of competition, Liaoning judoka Yuan Hua, who has won all titles in international and domestic games she participated in, defeated her opponent Zhang Qingli of Henan by an ippon within 30 seconds to snatch the gold of women's open-weight category. Yuan Hua has been the gold medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 21st World University Games in Beijing and China's 8th National Games in 1997.

"I don't think I am invincible. I have rivals at any," said Yuan modestly. As for the possibility of her participation in the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 27-year-old judoka said it would be up to her health and mental condition at that time.

In men's open-weight category, Liaoning judoka Liu Shenggang, defending champion at the 8th National Games, subdued his opponent Ma Gang of the People's Liberation Army by an ippon within 40 seconds to win the title.

In women's under-48kg division, Li Lingling of Guangxi overcame tough challenges from Gao Feng of the Chinese army by a koka to pocket the gold. "It is really not easy for me to get this," Li said after the final, "because my performances in the past two years were not so desirable."

Inner Mongolia's Duren Hexiger overpowered Yuan Dan of Gansu in the repechage by an ippon to take the men's under-57kg class gold.

The total 16 golds of judo events at the Games were shared by Liaoning with 7, Guangdong with 3, Inner Mongolia with 2, and Jiangsu, Tianjin, Guangxi and Yunnan with one each.

Liaoning Judokas Dominate National Games

>> Full Coverage