Jamaican judoka Ashley McKenzie out of Paris Olympics after narrow defeat
Key Points(5)
- The five-time British champion said that he had opportunities to end the bout earlier but was hindered by a referee’s call and a subsequent Waza-ari awarded to Yildiz.
- This half-point, occurring 39 seconds before the end, sealed McKenzie’s fate and concluded his Olympic journey in Paris.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“I need some time to speak with my coach and others.
- Cuba’s Reidy Cardona Blanco finished third in Heat Five with a time of 7:06.45 minutes, qualifying for the quarter-finals.
- Guyana’s Raekwon Noel clocked 4:02.29 minutes, finishing second in his heat of the men’s 400m freestyle, also failing to advance.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Surinamese badminton player Sören Opti lost his opening match in Group A to China’s Yu Qi Shi, with scores of 21-5 and 21-7.
- Opti will face Italian Giovanni Toti in his second group stage match on July 29.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill showed resilience in her second Olympic appearance at Paris 2024 but ultimately fell 4-1 to her Cameroonian opponent in table tennis.
Despite a determined effort, Jamaican judoka Ashley McKenzie was narrowly defeated 1-0 in the round of 16 in the men's 60kg category at the Paris Olympic Games on Saturday.
Facing Salih Yildiz of Turkey, McKenzie couldn't overcome his opponent, as Yildiz scored the crucial point just after the three-minute mark. The contest concluded at four minutes, with both competitors receiving two penalties each.
Earlier in the competition, McKenzie kicked off Jamaica's Olympic journey at the Champ de Mars Arena by defeating Yemen's Hesham Makabr in the round of 32. He secured victory with a decisive throw, winning by ippon just under the three-minute mark, despite both athletes receiving penalties during the bout.
Hindered by a referee’s call
In the aftermath of his round of 16 defeat, an emotional McKenzie, who transitioned from representing Britain to Jamaica in 2023, reflected on the match. The five-time British champion said that he had opportunities to end the bout earlier but was hindered by a referee’s call and a subsequent Waza-ari awarded to Yildiz. This half-point, occurring 39 seconds before the end, sealed McKenzie’s fate and concluded his Olympic journey in Paris.
“I need some time to speak with my coach and others. I wish him (Yildiz) well and hope he secures a medal,” McKenzie said, contemplating his future and potential retirement after the match.
In other Olympic news, Bermuda’s Dara Alizadeh finished fifth in Heat Four of the men’s singles sculls rowing event, recording a time of 7:23.70 minutes. Cuba’s Reidy Cardona Blanco finished third in Heat Five with a time of 7:06.45 minutes, qualifying for the quarter-finals. Aruba’s Phillip Elhaje placed 33rd in the 10m air pistol men’s qualification shooting with a score of 554 over six series.
Mmen’s 100m breaststroke
At the Paris La Defense Arena, Jadon Wuilliez from Antigua finished second in Heat 2 of the men’s 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:02.70 minutes but did not advance to the semi-finals. Guyana’s Raekwon Noel clocked 4:02.29 minutes, finishing second in his heat of the men’s 400m freestyle, also failing to advance.
Surinamese badminton player Sören Opti lost his opening match in Group A to China’s Yu Qi Shi, with scores of 21-5 and 21-7. Opti will face Italian Giovanni Toti in his second group stage match on July 29.
Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill showed resilience in her second Olympic appearance at Paris 2024 but ultimately fell 4-1 to her Cameroonian opponent in table tennis. Despite tying the sets at 1-1 in the second game and displaying moments of brilliance, Edghill couldn’t secure victory. Reflecting on her journey, she expressed gratitude on Facebook to her support network and stated, "Today's result was definitely not the one we wanted. But sometimes you win some and other times you learn."
