The judges officially admitted to a mistake: the judoka Tasoev was unfairly deprived of the World Championship gold

The IJF Referee Commission apologized

The refereeing commission of the International Judo Federation (IJF) “made a deep apology”, recognizing that the throw of our judoka Inal Tasoev in the final fight of the World Championship in the weight category over 100 kg with the repeated winner of the Olympic Games Frenchman Teddy Riner could be counted. And this means that Tasoev should have won, if he had received a mark for the throw, the fight would have ended.

In the finals of the weight category over 100 kg of the World Judo Championship in Doha, Inal Tasoev met with three-time Olympic champion Teddy Riner from France. The fight went to extra time, which lasts until the first point scored. For three minutes, the opponents could not achieve the end of the final. But then Tasoev caught Riner on the counterattack and rolled him across the tatami. The judges again left the action without evaluation. And then Riner already received a long-awaited assessment for his throw. The fate of the gold medal was sealed.

There were doubts about the judge’s view of the events. But judo is a sport that is rather restrained in showing emotions in words, and not on the mat. The President of the Judo Federation of Russia Sergey Soloveichik said after the final that it is not customary in judo to comment on the decisions of judges: they are always right. And yet he remarked: “But we saw the throw, which means that Riner fell.”

Approximately in the same vein, Inal himself reacted to the outcome of the fight. He said that when he left his opponent, and the assessment was canceled, he thought only one thing: it was a mistake.

And now, a few days after the end of the World Cup, they didn’t think so, but understood, having re-examined the throw, and the judges. On the official website of the International Federation, a message appeared from the referee commission, which admitted its mistake and made a “deep apology”.

The statement says that in the final match of the +100 kg category of the 2023 World Judo Championship between athletes Teddy Riner and Inal Tasoev, an episode occurred that both the referee on the carpet and the IJF judging panel left without evaluation.

Riner’s attack was first blocked and then parried by Tasoev, but the judges decided to continue the fight without awarding points.

“After the competition, taking into account the current judging rules and the opinion of judo experts, we come to the conclusion that points for Tasoev’s counterattack could have been awarded.” The IJF Referee Commission deeply apologizes for its decision and states that “such actions will be judged in the future in accordance with current judo rules.”

And now it’s time to remember what Inal Tasoev said after the end of the World Cup: it takes two days to fly home and start training. “I don’t like second place, I don’t like everything about second place.”

… I wonder what the most titled athlete in the history of judo will say after the judges’ statement? Should we expect a beautiful and fair gesture from the great Riner? He can become another decoration of his great career.