September 13, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 15, 1424

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OSAKA (Japan), Sept 12: Argentina struck their first ever world or Olympic gold in judo here Friday as South Korea and Germany joined the campaign to block Japan’s medal rampage.

Daniela Krukower, 28, dumped Cuba’s former Olympic and world champion Driulis Gonzalez for perfect “ippon” win in an all-Latin women’s light-middleweight final on day two of the four-day world championships.

Japan, who won three out of four titles on offer on Thursday, managed to win just one as Masae Ueno tripped down Cuban Regina Zulueta with a leg sweep to win her second straight world title in the women’s middleweight.

Krukower, who won this year’s British Open and the Pan American championship, battled back from two marginal points down and floored Gonzalez with a body drop three minutes into the under-63kg final, for her first world-class victory.

Argentina’s only previous medal in the worlds or Olympics was a silver won by Carolina Mariani in the women’s under-52kg at the 1995 world championships in Japan.

Friday’s victory marks a highpoint in the life of Krukower, an aspiring massage therapist, who came back to Argentina at age 24 after spending 17 years in Israel with her family, even completing military service there.

South Korea’s up-and-coming Hwang Hee-Tae toppled defending champion Frederic Demontfaucon of France in his first under-90kg men’s middleweight match and defeated 2002 world silver medallist Zurab Zviadauri of Georgia in the final.

German Florian Wanner bowled over Japan’s gold medal hope and Asian Games champion Yoshihiro Akiyama for a comeback ippon finish with six seconds to go in an under-81kg men’s light-middleweight semi-final.

The 25-year-old went on to beat European champion Sergei Aschwanden in the final for his first major victory.

At the halfway mark, Japan stood with four golds, two each for men and women, and one each for Germany, China, South Korea and Argentina.