BEIJNG — Taylor Takata couldn't hide his disappointment.

After the way the day started, with overtime wins in his first two judo bouts, Takata was thinking about climbing up an Olympic medal stand, not scraping himself off the mat at the Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium.

But with 1 minute and 34 seconds remaining in his fourth and final bout yesterday, Egypt's Aheen El Hady tossed Takata to the mat for the win.

Takata finished ninth in his first Olympics with a 2-2 record in the 145.5-pound (66kg) class.

"He made his attack and I thought I could stop it, but his momentum took me over,'' he said. "I thought I should have won that last match, but that's sometimes how judo is. Sometimes you get caught.''

The day began auspiciously for the 26-year-old from Wahiawa. After a first-round bye, the 'Iolani School alum defeated Tariel Zintiridis from Greece 29 seconds into overtime in his first match.

In his next match he beat eight-time World Cup champion Dex Elmont of the Netherlands, 2-1, after being awarded a penalty point during the extra session.

Officials' decisions, however, worked against him in his third bout as he lost to Cuba's Yordanis Arencibia after being penalized twice, once for stalling. Despite the loss, he remained confident he would be able to win his next two bouts in the repechage (second-chance) bracket, and fight for a bronze medal. But El Hady put an end to those hopes.

"He just caught me and got me out-gripped,'' Takata said.

He said he wasn't sure if he would continue competing long enough to give the 2012 London Olympics a shot.

"I'm taking everything day-by-day,'' Takata said. "I'm going to go back to Colorado to gather my thoughts and decide what to do next.''

He said he definitely will resume his studies in finance at the University of Colorado, where he has nearly enough credits to be a senior. He's hoping to one day work for some of the businesses his father runs in Hawai'i.

Takata's immediate future will be spent attending as many Olympic events as he can. His top priorities? U.S. baseball and basketball games.

And he'll also spend some time reflecting on his Olympic debut.

"It's been a great experience for me to fight the best guys in the world,'' he said. "I couldn't ask for more.''

Japan's Masato Uchishiba won his second straight Olympic gold medal, pinning France's Benjamin Darbelet just seconds into their final match in the 66-kilogram division.

Taking the bronzes were Arencibia, who defeated Russia's Alim Gadanov on points, and North Korea's Pak Chol Min, who outscored Mirali Sharipov of Uzbekistan with a waza ari.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

CUBA SWEEPS PAST U.S., 25-15, 26-24, 25-17

BEIJING — The U.S. women's volleyball team, playing in its second match of an emotionally draining Olympics, fell to Cuba in three games today.

Cuba, ranked third in the world, overpowered the U.S. women, 25-15, 26-24, 25-17, and are 2-0 in preliminary round play. The U.S. women are 1-1.

Heather Bown, a University of Hawai'i alum had four kills and two blocks for Team USA. Kim Willoughby, another UH alum, had one kill and an ace. Starting setter Robyn Ah Mow-Santos had one block. Punahou alum Lindsey Berg also played at setter for the United States.

USA Volleyball has been reeling from the stabbing death of Todd Bachman, father of former Olympian Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon and father-in-law of the U.S. men's coach. Bachman was attacked by a knife-wielding man at a tourist site in Beijing on Saturday.

Bachman's wife, Barbara, was seriously wounded by the attacker, who jumped to his death from a balcony of the Drum Tower, a landmark the Americans were visiting.

SWIMMING

HEINE 43RD IN MEN'S 100 BACKSTROKE PRELIM

BEIJING — Jared Heine, a Marshall Islands Olympian and 2002 Damien graduate, was 43rd today in the men's 100-meter backstroke qualifying heats in Beijing.

Heine's time of 58.86 seconds was more than 4 seconds slower than the 16th and final qualifier for the event's semifinals later in the day.

Heine reveled in his Olympic experience, according to a story on radioaustralia.net.au.

"There is nothing like it — people can tell you about but there is nothing like that feeling," he said. "These last couple of days it has been hitting me. A couple sometimes I had a hard time breathing, you know, realizing this is it, but I just wanted to make it count."

WATER POLO

U.S. TOPS CHINA, 8-4; BROOKS DOESN'T PLAY

BEIJING — Tony Azevedo scored five goals to lift the United States men to an 8-4 victory over China in the preliminary round opener of water polo yesterday.

The U.S. limited the Chinese to a single goal during the second half after being tied at 4 in the first half. The United States plays Italy tomorrow.

Goalkeeper Brandon Brooks, a Punahou alum who plays for the United States, did not see action against China.

WATER POLO

HUNGARY KNOCKS OFF NETHERLANDS WOMEN

BEIJING — Hungary knocked off the Netherlands, 11-9, today in a group B preliminary women's water polo match at Yingdong Natatorium in the opening match for both teams.

Former University of Hawai'i water polo player Iefke Van Belkum logged 26 minutes for the Netherlands, missing the one shot she took.

Meike De Nooy, who will return to Manoa this year to finish her degree and coach the UH goalkeepers, did not play in goal for the Netherlands.