Judoka Sergiu Toma ranks fifth

Moldovan judoka Sergiu Toma finished fifth in the Grand Slam Judo Tournament in Rio de Janeiro in the 81kg class, Info-Prim Neo reports. In the preliminary fights, Sergiu Toma defeated Serbia’s Alexej Nefedov, Brazil’s Flavio Canto and Croatia’s Tomislav Marjanovic, but in the quarterfinals lost to the representative of the hosts and to Leandro Guilheiro, who became the winner. The fifth place brought Sergiu Toma 60 important points in the battle for qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics. He will climb several spots in the world rankings. The first 29 athletes from these rankings, which are compiled on the basis of the results scored in the most important judo competitions, qualify for the Olympiad. Currently, Sergiu Toma ranks 29th with 320 points.