Three gold medals will be coming home to European following the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam in Mongolia. All three were the top seeds in their respective categories and gave stellar performances to dominate over their opponents.
The first was -78kg Olympic and World bronze medallist, current European Champion, Patricia SAMPAIO of Portugal, who didn’t just give a gold medal performance, but it was a blinding win, defeating UMEKI Mami (JPN) in only 38 seconds. First it was a drop morote seoi nage for a yuko score in the first exchange, then she followed up with ashi guruma, transitioning immediately in to the osae komi. A bronze also came home to Europe in this category from Aleksandra BABINTSEVA (IJF), who battled her way back from being down a waza ari and yuko, scoring ippon with a huge uchi mata against Liz NGELEBEYA (FRA).
The first men’s gold came from Anton SAVYTSKIY (UKR), who defeated VEG Zsombor (HUN) in the -100kg final. Top seed, Savytskiy, scored waza ari first with sumi gaeshi, and then a yuko score with a huge tani o toshi that Veg managed to turn from. Nikoloz SHERAZADISHVILI (ESP) suffered defeat to Veg in the semi final, but came back for bronze as Karl BAATHE (SWE) ceded three shidos.
In the +78kg category, Lea FONTAINE (FRA) came out on top, scoring yuko in golden score against AYIMAN Jinesinuer (CHN), countering a harai goshi attempt. Helena VUKOVIC (CRO) took the bronze, another golden score endurance contest, this one with Mongolias’s AMARSAIKHAN Adiyasuren, and it was a cross-grip, o uchi gari that brought about this particular win.
Also, in the -90kg categroy, Ikhvan EDILSULTANOV (IJF) took a bronze medal, anticipating an advance from opponent, Umedjon RAJABOV (TJK), and countering him for a waza ari score in the final minute. The IJF Team also found success in the +100kg category, Artem ZOLOTUKHIN was runner up, after some great wins, he was only one step away from the gold medal, and Denis BATCHAEV scored three yukos against Utkirbek TUROBOYEV (UZB) for the bronze.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen