Paris 2024 Olympics judo: Tulika Maan knocked out in first round by Cuban legend Idalys Ortiz

Tulika Maan, the lone Indian judoka at the Paris 2024 Olympics, suffered an opening round exit from the women’s +78kg event on Friday after a loss to Cuba’s Idalys Ortiz.

The 25-year-old Tulika Maan is a former South Asian Games champion and silver medal winner from Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. But she found herself outmatched by Ortiz, a former two-time world champion in the category and a gold medallist from London 2012.

Ortiz, who also won an Olympic bronze in the division at Beijing 2008 and settled for silvers from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, took just 28 seconds to overpower Maan in the contest.

The Cuban managed to catch Maan in katate-jime, a chokehold move, and scored an instant ippon to close out the match.

Since she lost in the round of 32, Maan will not have a chance at making the repechage rounds even if Ortiz makes the final.

In Olympic judo competitions, only the losing quarter-finalists enter the repechage rounds for a chance to compete for the bronze medals.

Tulika Maan had made it to Paris 2024 through a continental quota based on her rankings.

Sushila Devi Likmabam was India's only participant in judo at Tokyo 2020 but she could not get past the opening round in the women's 48kg division either.

Judo competitions at Paris 2024 are being held at the Champ-de-Mars Arena. Over 370 judokas from around the globe are competing for medals across 14 weight classes - seven for men and as many for women.