Olympic and world champion Ryoko Tamura outclassed Asian Games winner Kayo Kitada in the 48-kg final Sunday to claim her 12th victory at the Fukuoka women's international judo meet.
Tamura beat Kitada by racking up points on superior leg techniques in her comeback from an eight-month layoff after losing to high school student Tomoko Fukumi in the first round of the national weight-category championships in April.
She got revenge against Fukumi this time out, beating her soundly in the semifinals at Fukuoka Kokusai Center as host Japan claimed three of the four weight categories held Sunday.
"More than being relieved, I'm really happy," Tamura said after winning the final.
"I toiled through some really tough practice sessions, so I felt I had some breathing room in the matches." Tamura overcame an injury to her right knee at the summer World Championships last year en route to her fifth straight gold.
But she then had her 65-match winning streak snapped when she fell to 17-year-old upstart Fukumi in April.