RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – It was a day of surprises on the first day of the judo competition at the Rio Games.
In the women’s division, the first gold medal went not to defending Olympic champion Sarah Menezes in her home country, but to an Argentinian bronze medalist from the Beijing games, now a qualified doctor.
Paula Pareto, ranked third, jumped repeatedly in victory when she defeated South Korea’s Bokyeong Jeong in the women’s 48-kilogram division, much to the delight of a crowd packed with Argentinians waving their national flag. Pareto climbed into the spectator section afterward to be enveloped not only by giddy fans, but numerous flags.
After hugging one particularly patriotic fan whose face was painted in blue and white, Pareto was left with faint traces of blue paint on the right side of her face.
Pareto’s coach Laura Martinel described her as “phenomenal” and credited Pareto’s exceptional technique and mental strength for her victory.