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Ailing Yawara-chan vows to fight for judo gold

Ailing Yawara-chan vows to fight for judo gold

5 Aug 2004 11:55
Mainichi Shimbun
David Finch / Judophotos.com

Japanese judo star Ryoko Tani, who aims to take her second Olympic gold medal in the women's 48-kilogram class at Athens, said Wednesday she was recovering from an injury she had sustained in July. "Both the swelling and internal bleeding have subdued," Tani said at the Kodokan judo hall in Tokyo's Bunkyo-ku. "I'm recovering smoothly."

Tani suffered an injury to her left heel when her toe was caught between tatami mats during a training session on July 12.

The injury prevented her from training for several days.After she struggled to walk for several days after the injury, many fans have been concerned about her chances of taking consecutive Olympic gold medals.

"I once thought the best thing for me would be to give up going to Athens," she said. "But I now have the drive to win again."

Tani won the Gold Medal in the 48-kilogram class at the Sydney Olympics.

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