Japan's Niizoe takes first judo world title

·1-min read
Austrian Michaela Polleres pushes Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown to the mat in a bronze-medal bout. The Briton briefly lost consciousness
Austrian Michaela Polleres pushes Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown to the mat in a bronze-medal bout. The Briton briefly lost consciousness

Japan's Saki Niizoe won her first individual world title in the -70 kg final at the World Judo Championships on Thursday, as Britain's Katie-Jemima Yeats-Brown lost consciousness in a bronze-medal match.

Niizoe beat unseeded Italian Giovanna Scoccimarro in the final to climb two steps on the podium in Doha after taking bronze last year in Tashkent.

Yeats-Brown was caught in a chokehold by Austrian Michaela Polleres, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, and had to be treated on the mat for a few minutes before she managed to get up again to a round of applause.

Luka Maisuradze won the men's -90 kg category in a final between two Georgians both seeking a first world title.

The 25-year-old European champion beat Olympic champion Lasha Bekauri by waza-ari thanks to a surprising sacrifice move in extra time.

dif/pb/jc