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| Uta Kühnen | |
| Fullname: | Uta Kühnen |
| Sport: | Judo |
| Event: | 78 kg |
| Club: | SC Berlin |
| Coach: | Norbert Littkopf |
| Birth Date: | 9 August 1975 |
| Birth Place: | Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden- Württemberg, West Germany |
| Weight: | 750NaN0 |
| Show-Medals: | yes |
Uta Kühnen (born 9 August 1975 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg) is a German judoka who competed in the women's half-heavyweight category.[1] She held three German senior titles in her own division, picked up a total of twenty-nine medals in her career, including a bronze from the 2000 European Judo Championships in Wrocław, Poland, and represented Germany in two editions of the Olympic Games (2000 and 2004).[2] Kuhnen also trained as a full-fledged member of the judo squad for the Berlin Sports Club under her personal coach and sensei Norbert Littkoff, who also headed the German national team.[3] [4]
Kuhnen made her official debut at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she competed for the German team in the women's half-heavyweight class (78 kg). She thwarted Gabon's Mélanie Engoang in a sudden-death prelim match, before falling short in her next bout to South Korea's Lee So-yeon, who threw her off the tatami with a double yuko score within four seconds.[5] [6]
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Kuhnen qualified for her second German squad again in the women's half-heavyweight class (78 kg), by placing seventh from the World Championships in Osaka, Japan.[7] [8] Unlike her previous Olympics, Kuhnen received a bye in the first round, but slipped her medal chances with a shido penalty, a yuko score, and a kuchiki taoshi hold (single leg takedown) from Cuban judoka and eventual bronze medalist Yurisel Laborde during their second-round match.[9] [10]