REPRESENTING THE Philippines, Kiyomi Watanabe fell to Spain’s Cristina Cabana Perez in the Judo Women’s -63 kg Round of 32 event held earlier today at the Nippon Budokan Arena. The match was decided via ippon, with Watanabe’s journey in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics coming to an end.

Boasting a silver medal in the 2018 Asian Games and a gold medal for judo in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, Watanabe stood at a world rank of 41 upon entry into the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, her Spanish foe won the silver medal in the European Seniors Championships in 2020 and is currently ranked 37 in the world. 

The bout between the two judokas lasted 38 seconds, as Perez was able to notch a game-ending ippon at Watanabe’s expense. Following the match, Perez moves on to the Round of 16, while the Filipino Watanabe ends her stint in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.