Tashkent 2022: Dicko (FRA) or Tomita (JPN)?

The top two prospects for gold in the +78kg division in Tashkent is Romane Dicko (FRA) and Wakaba Tomita (JPN).

Dicko is the reigning European Champion, where she defeated another top competitor, Raz Hershko (ISR) in the final. Dicko has difficulty with Japanese players though. She lost to Akira Sone in the Mixed Teams event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Recently, she lost to Sarah Asahina in the Oberwart World Cup. Both these players will not be in Tashkent. Instead, Wakaba Tomita is the Japanese representative in Tashkent.

Tomita will be the biggest hurdle for Dicko to overcome. She beat Dicko on home ground at the 2022 Paris Grand Slam. And, she is on a roll. After beating Dicko in Paris, she went on to defeat Idalys Ortiz, Cuba’s Olympic and double World Champion, in the Hungary Grand Slam.

Odalys, who can be considered a legend in judo, is still a threat. But she is already 33 and is no longer at the peak of her prime. Other top prospects are Hershko and Beatrice Souza (BRA).