With the lightweights breaking ground in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the first Grand Slam event since the World Championships, it looked possible that it could be an entirely Asian collection of gold medals, however Kseniia GALITSKAIA (IJF) and Ana Viktorija PULJIZ (CRO) ensured that there would be at least one European medal, defeating FUCHIDA Megumi (JPN) and LKHAGVASUREN Sosorbaram (MGL) respectively.
In the -57kg final, Puljiz attempted to come around the back of Galitskaia with a tani o toshi, hoping to use her opponents height to her advantage in this case, but instead was countered with a waza Ari-scoring o uchi gari. For both athletes, these are their best results in a grand slam event in this weight category, and for Galitskaia, a special place as it is the first senior IJF World Judo Tour event she medalled at in 2023.
Four more medals went to the IJF Team; Iznaur SAAEV (-60kg, bronze), Marina VOROBEVA (-48kg, silver), Sabina GILIAZOVA (-48kg, bronze) and Glafira BORISOVA (-52kg, bronze).
The only other medal to be taken by Europe came from Denis VIERU (MDA). After having to drop out of the race in the European Championships in April, he was back on the tatami and looking fighting fit, all the way to the -66kg final against Uzbekistan’ Abdurakhim NUTFULLOEV. It was an unfortunate end for Vieru, ceding three shidos, but not a bad return to competition.
Judoka
Author: Thea Cowen