Darcina Manuel turned in a fine performance today in the women’s 57kg judo competition.
Manuel didn’t have the easiest of draws.
The 23-year-old ran into Irina Zabludina of Russia in her first bout.
Zabludina was a quarter-finalist in this event at the 2012 London Olympics and had a world ranking of 24.
The bout swayed back and forth but finally the New Zealander prevailed by one yuko.
In the next round things got even tougher for Manuel, who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
She was drawn against Telma Monteiro of Portugal. Monteiro has won five world championship medals and is one of the big names in her sport.
The bout went four minutes and the Portuguese won by two yukos.
Manuel was thus eliminated, having finished ninth.
Monteiro went on to win the bronze medal.
The New Zealander said she was proud of how she’d fought against Monteiro. “I had to go out there and have a go,” she said. "My coach and I discussed early on that you go out here and leave it all on the mat and that’s what I did.”
Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games Darcina Manuel Judo
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