Chinese judoka accused of biting as Japanese home hope wins Asian Games gold
Japanese judoka Rin Maeda won gold at the Asian Games after her Chinese opponent, Tang Jing, was disqualified for biting her during a quarter-final match. Officials noted that such an incident is unprecedented in their professional experience.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intensity of international sports competition and the challenges of officiating in high-stakes multi-sport events.
Japan’s Rin Maeda celebrating after winning the women’s -70kg gold at the Asian Games on Oct 1.
Listen NAGOYA – Japanese judo officials said they had never seen anything like it after eventual champion Rin Maeda appeared to be bitten by her Chinese opponent at the Asian Games.
Maeda was awarded victory in the quarter-final bout in Nagoya when Tang Jing was disqualified just over a minute into the contest.
Tang appeared to bite Maeda just above the wrist while the pair were clinched on the ground, with Maeda showing the referee teeth marks after getting up from the mat.
Judges reviewed the footage, and Tang was disqualified.
Japan women’s judo coach Maki Tsukada told sports website The Digest that it was a first for her in her long career in the sport.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in