Two-time Olympic champion Lukáš Krpálek will not win another medal in Paris. In the round of 16 of the Olympic judo tournament over 100 kilograms, he was defeated by Japanese Tacuru Saitó on ippon. The Czech champion from Rio de Janeiro in the lower category and from Tokyo in the heaviest weight lost the fight with the silver medalist from last year’s World Championship after 91 seconds.
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Paris
10:19 2. 8. 2024 (Updated: 12:49 8/2/2024)
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Judist Lukáš Krpálek was eliminated in the Olympic round of 16 in Paris Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon | Source: Reuters
The 33-year-old Krpálek started the Olympic tournament in Paris promisingly. In the 1st round, he defeated Jelle Snippe of the Netherlands before the time limit expired. In the next phase, however, Saitó, whose weight reaches up to 170 kilograms, threw him to the ground after a minute and a half and ended his dream of a third Olympic gold in a row with the uchi mata technique.
I snored at the opponent’s grab I know, sad Krpálek after the end in the Olympic round of 16
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“I felt good overall. When I arrived at the hall, I thought that it might work. Unfortunately, I snore there on one grab that I know my opponent is doing. He was very strong in his grip. Our task was to manage the beginning, hold on and beat him when he gets a little more tired,” said Krpálek in an interview with Radiožurnál Sport.
Krpálek competed for the first time at the Olympic Games in London 2012, where he lost in the quarterfinals of the weight class up to 100 kg to the Russian Tagir Chaibulaev and then in the rematch to the Dutchman Henk Grol. Saitó, who defeated him on Friday, won his twelfth match in a row. He is ranked sixth, Krpálek arrived in Paris as the world’s eleventh.
The expedition of Czech judokas thus came up empty at the games in France. Even the European champion Renata Zachová in the category up to 63 kilograms and David Klammert in the 90 did not succeed before Krpálek. Both were eliminated in the 1st round.
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