Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Mammadli wins gold in 13 seconds

August 11, 2008 19:17 IST

Azerbaijan's Elnur Mammadli needed only 13 seconds to beat teenage world champion Wang Kichun of South Korea to win the men's 73kg category in Beijing on Monday and emerge as his country's first Olympic judo champion.

Mammadli dived straight for Wang's legs, grabbing him firmly and barreling the slightly built Korean into the mat for an ippon score and automatic victory.

The win gave Azerbaijan its first judoka medal, left a stunned Wang lying on the floor and sent the sizeable contingent of Azerbaijani fans at the venue into raptures.

It also gave Mammadli sweet revenge for his world championship loss to Wang in the final in Rio last year.

Tajikistan's Rasul Boqiev won bronze after beating Dirk van Tichelet of Belgium in a closely fought battle.

Brazil's Leandro Guilheiro needed only 23 seconds to beat Ali Malomat of Iran, throwing his opponent over his back for an ippon score and automatic victory.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.