Judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan - Mongolian Swimmer claimed its 1st ever Olympic Gold Medal

[PhilipSaar]

Judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan - Mongolian Judo Champion claimed its 1st ever Olympic Gold Medal

Mongolia claimed its first ever Olympic gold medal after Judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan beat Kazakhstan's Askhat Zhitkeyev in the men's -100kg class.

Naidan, who upset Japan's 2004 Olympic champion Keiji Suzuki in his opening bout, scored a waza ari late on then added on two yuko to seal the victory.

Azerbaijan's Movlud Miraliyev and Netherlands' Henk Grol took bronze.

Earlier in the day, Britain's Peter Cousins, a silver medallist in Athens, lost to Georgia's Levan Khorzholiani.

Playing to his strengths in the final, Naidan posted three scoring throws to outclass Zhitkeyev, each time using brute strength to pick his opponent off the floor and roll him on to his back.

I really believe that judo needs to be promoted much more in Britain, and not just by sending judoka to schools or by putting a pile of pamphlets in town halls and youth clubs...

Kenmasters

Two minutes in and diving low, he slung Zhitkeyev across his shoulders and tossed him on his side to post a high waza ari score.

Zhitkeyev then allowed himself to be thrown twice more for low scoring uko, leaving the result beyond doubt, although the Kazakhstan judoka still won his nation's first Olympic medal in the sport.

For Britain's Cousins, though, there was little consolation after he crashed out in the opening round to Khorzholiani's second yuko of the bout in the golden score period.

"He didn't really do any attacks at all," said a disconsolate Cousins. "If you're the man doing all the work you should win.

"I think Zhorzholiani was very tired from fighting me and he fought a guy who I would have beat."

The Georgian fell in the next round, ruling out a place in the repechage for Harlow-based Cousins, though he is looking forward to the next Olympics in London."If I didn't go to 2012, it would be like having a party going on next door and I wasn't invited," he said.

"In 2012, I'll be so strong that I won't have to worry about decisions by judges."

[Bundes]

I actually saw his first match, and was in complete disbelief when he applied that ippon on Japanese legend and heavy favorite Suzuki. I didn't get to see his other matches, but I guess it was meant to be.

I hope he goes on to do other great things in Judo. I say that because judo categories take place all within a day, so it can happen, and it often does, that someone is just "in that day", in the zone and everything works out for them.

Look at the world champion in that category, Luciano Correa. He had his "day" in the world championships last year. At the Olympics, though, he looked like a sloppy beginner and was never a real threat to any half-descent judoka.

It's always great when countries with no tradition in medal results pull an unexpected win like that though. It's really the best part of the Olympics.