The hosts of the Dushanbe Grand Slam, Tajikistan, rallied to take the top spot of the medal table on day two of the 2025 edition. Coming through for the European continent to claim gold however was Lara CVJETKO (CRO) in the -70kg category.
It was an all-European battle in fact, against Kelly PETERSON-POLLARD (GBR), and almighty one at that. The women went head to head for over 12 minutes to decide on the gold medal, and it was a terrific harai maki komi in the end from Cvjetko that earned her the Dushanbe title.
Notable accomplishments were made by the 2024 Junior European Female, Melkia AUCHECORNE (FRA), who after winning a bronze medal in the Paris Grand Slam, has gone one step further to claim a silver in Dushanbe, losing out to BOLD Gankhaich (MGL) in the -63kg final. It was an emotional day for Team Austria as Lubljana PIOVESANA came back to take her first medal since the Paris Olympics and personal tragedy, a well deserved bronze defeating Iva OBERAN (CRO) with a series of scores.
The 2020 European Champion, Katarzyna SOBIERAJSKA (POL) finally landed her first Grand Slam medal in the -70kg category, countering an uchi mata attack from LIU Lu (CHN) with only two seconds left on the clock,
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen