NAGOYA -- Tsukuba University student Midori Shintani upset Sydney Olympic bronze medalist Mayumi Yamashita in the final Sunday to capture her first title of the women's open national judo championship.
Shintani, who scored a string of comfortable "ippon" wins on her way to the final, edged defending champion Yamashita on a 2-1 flag decision by the judges after both judoka ended their match at Aichi Martial Arts Gymnasium without a point.
"I'm glad to win, but it wasn't a convincing victory. It's a bit disappointing," said Shintani, who missed out on a place in last year's Sydney Olympics but has since developed into a major contender. She has gone unbeaten since last October, adding a heavyweight double at the Asian championships earlier this month to her triumph in February at the France international tournament.
Later Sunday, Shintani and Yamashita were both named to the Japanese national team for the world championships in Munich in July, with a decision still pending as to who will compete in the over-78 kg class and the open category.