A Judoka Was Disqualified At The Asian Games After An Alleged BITE — And Her Opponent Went On To Win Gold

Stop scrolling, because judo just had its most unexpected moment of the year, and yes, it involves a bite mark. 🥋

China's Tang Jing was disqualified from the Asian Games quarter-finals after appearing to bite the arm of her Japanese opponent, Rin Maeda, according to BBC Sport.

What Actually Happened

The women's -70kg bout took place in Nagoya. After the two were separated from a hold early on, Maeda did something unusual: she rolled up her sleeve and showed the referee her left forearm.

BBC Sport says there was what appeared to be a bite mark just above the wrist.

Officials went to the video footage, reviewed it, and handed three-time Asian Games medallist Tang a disqualification for unsportsmanlike behaviour. Maeda moved on.

The Reaction

Tang, 31, appeared to contest the decision, per BBC Sport. She then shook hands with Maeda and left the competition area without speaking to the media.

Maeda's coach, Maki Tsukada, described the injury in vivid terms: "It looked like it was really going to bleed." She added that the mark was "very clear and distinct".

The Plot Twist: Gold Anyway

Here's the part that makes it feel like a movie. Maeda, 21, kept going and won the whole event, beating Kazakhstan's Azhar Askhat in the final.

She admitted she'd never seen anything like it before.

"It's not something that happens very often, so it was a first for me," she told reporters, adding that she was in "a little pain" but the adrenaline took over once she was back on the mat.

The Tea ☕

• Tang Jing was disqualified for unsportsmanlike behaviour after officials reviewed video of an alleged bite.
• Rin Maeda showed the referee her arm mid-bout, then went on to win gold.
• Tang contested the call but did not speak to media afterwards. At the time of writing, we haven't seen a public statement from her, so we'll only report what's been confirmed.

So... Was The Ref Right?

Judo is famously a sport of discipline and respect, so a disqualification like this really stands out. The officials reviewed the footage and made their call, and the result stood.

Still, Tang appeared to disagree on the mat, and we haven't heard her side in full. We'll keep an eye out for any statement.

What do you think: was disqualification the right call, or should a bite like this carry an even bigger punishment? Sound off below. 👇

Sources: BBC Sport