Tanimoto reaches semifinals, Ono knocked out

BEIJING — Tuesday 12th August, 05:38 PM JST
Defending champion Ayumi Tanimoto booked a spot in the semifinals of the women’s 63 kilograms after winning her first two matches at the Beijing Olympic Games on Tuesday. Tanimoto, who had a bye into the second round, countered an attack by Ysis Barreto, manhandling her Venezuelan opponent to get a mount before placing her in an ironclad submission hold for ippon at Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium. Falling behind a point for inactivity in her second match, Tanimoto was never fazed as she proceeded to execute the same power-lifting feat, this time twisting over South Korea’s Kong Ja Young on the mat before immobilizing her with a rear pinning technique. Tanimoto faces her toughest test in her next match against three-time world champion and Athens bronze medalist Driulis Gonzalez of Cuba.
But it was another day in the doldrums for Japanese men, with Takashi Ono losing his first match in the 81-kg category against reigning world champion Tiago Camilo of Brazil and failing to advance to the repechage stage. Camilo rolled over Ono, the 2005 world bronze medalist, with a piggyback technique and won the match on points. But the Brazilian did not reach the semifinals, which left Ono out of the running to win a bronze medal.