Russia aims for Olympic judo comeback

By Alexander Fedorets – MOSCOW (AFP) — Once taught to Soviet secret policemen, before being outlawed by the communists, judo is desperate for a new Russian revolution.
Failures by the country's judokas at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the world championships in Brazil, have forced the national federation to reset its sights on youngsters with medals the target at the 2012 London Games.
Judo has endured a colourful and sometimes bloody history in Russia.
The sport first appeared in Czarist Russia in 1914 when a Japanese citizen, of Russian origin, Vasily Oshchepkov set up a dojo in Vladivostok.
He had studied in the famous Kodokan school, which was established by judo father Jigoro Kano in Japan.
After the communists came to power, Oshchepkov was teaching local police officers and secret servicemen the judo basics.
But this episode had an unhappy ending.
In the late 1930s, the communists condemned judo as "bourgeois" and alien to the Soviet people, while Oshchepkov's father was accused of espionage and executed in 1937.
The revival of judo in the Soviet Union took place in 1962, when the sport was included in the Olympic programme and the national judo federation was set up.
Judo enthusiasts in the USSR enjoyed immediate success winning four bronze medals at 1964 Games in Tokyo.
Judo quickly became popular in the Soviet Union, especially in the Caucasian republics where wrestling was already established.
Shota Chochishvili was the first Soviet judoka to win Olympic gold at the 1972 Olympics at Munich.
Soviet judokas then won medals at Olympics, world and European championships on a regular basis providing Japan with a tough challenge until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
At the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, David Khakhaleishvili of Georgia and Azerbaijan's Nazim Guseinov, who were members of the unified team, won the last Olympic golds for the desintegrating country.
Since those Games, judo gold has eluded Russia.
Even the support of former Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is a passionate judo fan, could not inspire any of the country's judokas to an Olympic title.
Last year, a dozen Russian judokas were ranked among the best in their weight divisions, giving hope for success at Beijing.
However, not one single medal was captured and emergency measures were required.
A foreign coach was sought and Ezio Gamba of Italy was unanimously approved.
European judo federation chief Sergei Soloveichik said: "Gamba performed very well in the African training centre of the international judo federation and we are hoping that the Russian period of his career will also be a success."
The Italian has already made his mark.
At last month's European championships at Tbilisi, Russian judokas won eight medals including five golds.
"We have enough talent and plenty of time ahead of the London Games," said Gamba.
"I believe in the bright prospects of Russian judo."