Daily Times

HAVANA: Top Cuban judoka Idalis Ortiz forged her exceptional endurance and techniques by training with men – a regimen that helped her break through in Beijing and claim Olympic gold in London. Now, she is setting her sights on a golden repeat in Rio next month. Born in the little village of Candelaria, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) outside of Havana, the smiling Ortiz learned to fall – and always to get back up – opposite male sparing partners. They were the only ones who could cope with the extraordinary physique of the 26-year-old woman, who stands 5’8″ (1.73 meters) and weighs 250 pounds (115 kilos). The method payed off as, at just 18 years old, Ortiz claimed the bronze in Beijing – the youngest medalist in the heavyweight category. Four years later, she broke the Chinese and Japanese chokehold on the sport in London with her victory. By stealing the spotlight from the favorites, China’s Tong Wen and Japan’s Mika Sugimoto, Ortiz became the first judoka born outside Asia to dominate in the category at the Olympics, which first held women’s judo competitions in 1992. In Rio, things will be different, she said, because the field is more even. “Whoever my opponent may be, it will be difficult,” Ortiz predicted in an interview at the Cerro Pelado training center south of Havana. The hopes of an entire nation rest on Ortiz, the most prominent competitor in a sport that brought 35 Olympic medals to the Caribbean island from 1964-2012. To reach the top of the podium in Rio next month, Ortiz will likely have to get past world number one Song Yu of China and Brazil’s Maria Altheman, Ortiz’s long-suffering foil who will likely be thirsty for revenge on home turf.