Smythe-Davis claims silver for Great Britain at World Judo Championships in Baku

The world number five lost to Japanese world number two Tsukasa Yoshida in the women’s -57kg final but the silver medal was the first for Great Britain since 2009.

The pair were both on the podium a year ago in Budapest where Yoshida claimed silver and Smythe-Davis won bronze, but it was the Japanese star who prevailed on this occasion by going one better.

To reach the Final, Smythe-Davis beat defending champion and world number one Sumiya Dorjsuren from Mongolia by a golden score in their semi-final. The British judoka outworked the Mongolian on the ground with a proficient display of shime-waza to ensure a new owner of the red backpatch in the -57kg category.

After that dramatic success the 25-year-old from London was looking to become Great Britain’s first world champion since Craig Fallon in 2005. But the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist had to settle for silver as Japan’s fourth gold medallist scored two waza-ari in 80 seconds with a lethal display. Yoshida broke the deadlock with a tai-otoshi and finished with a neat ashi-waza attack from a ko-soto.

Speaking afterwards, Smythe-Davis said “I’m absolutely over the moon. I literally couldn’t have dreamed any of this,”

“The final was tough. She didn’t give me anything, which makes it difficult. I prepared as well as I could but she was better than me on the day.”

“My bronze last year, my silver medal this year – I could retire happy today,”

In the second semi-final Yoshida defeated former teammate and Paris Grand Slam gold medallist Christa Deguchi of Canada, gaining revenge for her Paris Grand Slam final loss to the Canadian star by throwing with a uchi-mata for a waza-ari to secure her spot in the final for the second year in a row.

Deguchi did have the consolation of a medal – Canada’s first medal in Baku – in the first bronze medal contest beating Germany’s European Championships silver medallist Theresa Stoll. The win also meant that Canada finally had a first female medallist at the World Judo Championships

There was a shock in the men’s -73kg category as defending world champion Soichi Hashimoto of Japan lost his world crown to Korea’s Changrim An who claimed his first senior world title.

The duo have been long-time rivals both in Japan and outside on the international circuit and this latest meeting of the two proved no different. An, who grew up in Japan and regularly fought in the All Japan School Championships, and claimed in Baku at the expense of Hashimoto.

However Hasimoto, who also lost to Asian Games silver medallist An at the Hohhot Grand Prix final in May, was caught with a ko-soto-gake for ippon.

The world title for An is the best result of his career to date and comes having won the Junior world title in 2014.

The 2018 World Judo Championships continue in Baku until 26 September.